The Wayward Spartan
by WhyWorldWhy
Summary: Sierra Beta-312 makes his last stand on Reach; intent on taking as many Covenant as he can with him. Instead of Hell, the Hyper-Lethal Vector finds a new world, with more than he bargained for. Warning: Slight Halo AU-Noble Six is more "Fleshed out" than in the game itself.
1. Dead Man Walking

_**A/N: First public go at writing; just to see reception; I'll probably(?) see this through regardless of the reviews to help me improve my style. However, I will see if I can rack my brain for more ideas and stuff if demand arises.**_

_**Also; Legal Stuff(Just in Case): The Cover and my Profile picture are screenshots from MCC; which I have customized myself, and as such I believe they fall under Derivative Works. Either way, none of this is being bought or sold.  
**__**Please don't sue.  
Just send a message and I'll remove the offending material.**_

_**Edit: Tried improving the intro. Maybe its less jarring of a character description.**_

* * *

_**Reach**_

_**August 30, 2552**_

_**2000 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The wind rustled my beaten and scarred armor. The Command Network Module hung somewhat loosely, the Hardened Up-link Module was flickering.  
My 'Counter-assault' armor plate rattled against the Mjolnir. The Patrol scarf flapped with the wind, the cloth trying to escape its magnetic hold.

I looked over my armor. Couldn't hurt to do a status check.

The steel and blue color scheme was now more 'steel and ash with a slight hint of faded blue'. Most of the paint had been scratched or burned off during the last week or so.

FJ/Para shoulder and knee guards were cracked, pitted, and dented; yet still stayed stuck firmly on.  
This prototype armor with its MK VI systems had saved my life, and ONI had let me keep it even now.

Noble team's dog tags dangled in the wind. I tucked them into the hardcase built into the extra armor plating. The soft-case wouldn't keep it safe.  
The Trauma kit and my custom survival kit wavered back and forth, banging against my hip. Good to know its still there.

I knelt down to Emile's propped up body, and grabbed his kukri. I had already grabbed the dog tags when I first got here. The kukri went on my right shoulder, in honor of my brother in arms.

Kat's Magnum and Carter's DMR felt like they were burning holes in my armor. "I'm sorry..." I walked off.

The Covvies were going to be all over the place soon, and I didn't feel like making my last stand in some shitty shipyards.

* * *

Death. That's all that was left on Reach. Numbly stalking across the field for four hours after I dropped off the package. Hope it was worth it. Was it? Carter. Emile. Kat. Jorge. Jun? Not yet. Can't be; if it was; well…  
"Wouldn't hafta hunt down his body to complete the collection…" I grimly joke; slightly chuckling at how I had almost forgotten Jun and how his dog tags rested in the hard-case with the rest of Noble. Coming across a small valley that would serve well, I started setting up the area. Too open? Slap down a few barricades. Move a few turrets here; a few there… Well, it might as well have been another Khe Sanh. As I continued to prepare myself for my final stand, I found a heavily damaged Pelican, which had miraculously avoided crashing, and had only suffered a rough landing. It seemed to still be space-worthy, so I dropped a point on my TacPad to remember to try falling back here. Trekking onwards, I stumbled across a compound, half-ruined by plasma.

"Perfect. It's time to get my shit over here, some cover's better than none."  
Looking up, several Banshees pass overhead.  
"Shit, gotta hurry."

After a little while of hauling a literal city block's worth of rubble and enough weapons to arm a UNSC Frigate while dodging Covenant patrols, I slipped into the ruined house, Emile's knife at the ready. Deciding to send out one last hurrah via broadcast, I sent out my final call, heavily encrypted but leaving my location wide open.

"Jun, if you an' the Doc ain't off planet yet, I'm redirecting the Covvie heat to me. I'll try and make my own way off-planet, so don't worry 'bout me. You still owe me those drinks for Algolis; Doc. Don't either of you die on me; Reach has enough bodies already. Six, signing off."

I sighed, making sure the defenses were ready. Dead Spartans and Marines were respectfully propped up against the walls, with their weapons propped up by them or slightly off to the side.  
"Knowing my luck, I'll still trip over 'em…" I grumble, remembering what happened on Algolis. Readying an SRS-99 I found, I crouched down and took aim. Scrolling through my HUD, I managed to find my ancient music player's controls; selecting a classic rock song. The armor spat out its usual status message.

**Playing:  
****"Dead Man Walking"  
****By "WAR*HALL"**

"Damn things...Aim's never quite right whenever I fire these things…" I grumble as I line up my first shot with an Elite's head. The Elite's head exploded in a mist of purple as the Grunts ran for cover; with the song's notes beginning to swell. Redirecting my aim to a new target, I found a squad of Jackal snipers. I let free with my rifle, quickly running dry 3 mags as the Jackal squad went down. A Brute decided he had had enough and charged me; yelling all the while.

"Shit, I didn't sign up to be no matador!" I joked, swinging the sniper around as I emptied the mag, with all four bullets finally putting the brute down. The music began to reach a climax, rising and lowering in tone.  
"Coulda swore I aimed for the head…"  
Swapping mags, I noted it was my second to last mag.

"Better make it count...On second thought;" I said, curiously while ripping the scope off the SRS-99.  
"How's this handle?" I asked myself as I flicked the rifle towards a squad of Elites charging me, pulling the trigger three times. My jaw dropped as the three shots tore through all 7 Elite's heads, creating a spray of purple blood.  
"Seriously? That's the reason why? Goddammit." I gripe to myself while fighting off the encroaching Covenant forces. It was at that point I saw a large glob of blue plasma arc through the sky.

"A fuckin' Wraith, huh?! Bring it on!" I shouted as I fired my last round and tossed the sniper for a M45 shotgun. I began running for the Wraith, blasting my way through Covenant forces as Elites and Brutes tried to block me, Grunts and Jackals tried to nick me from afar, and other Grunts were just running. My shields flared at each shot, but I shrugged it all off and kept going. The Wraith came onto the scene, running over several of its own. The gunner opened fire, and my shields broke. Having enough, I tossed a plasma grenade right into the Wraith's plasma cannon and kicked off the front of the vehicle, giving the Grunt gunner a faceful of pellets. Dashing for my defenses, I picked up one of the turrets and fired until the magazine ran out; culling the enemies like a scythe to wheat. I picked up a Spartan Laser and aimed at a Phantom flitting about, trying to drop off troops. The weapon emitted a loud whine, then the ruby red laser flashed out; slamming into the drop-ship. The music faded into silence. Then, a sound.

A distinct noise, like normal plasma but heavier than usual. An unmistakable ignition noise.  
Hunters. Elite.  
Behind me.

Turning around, I roundhouse kick the Elite while leveling my charging Spartan Laser at the Hunters. One shot released, it punched through the left Hunter's plasma cannon. The Hunter exploded in flames and orange blood, coating my armor. The second one rushed me, but I shoved a plasma grenade into its chest, jumping back as it exploded.

More Elites swarmed me, intent on making sure I died. Hours passed by as I fought them off, my fortifications melted to slag and my weapons going dry one by one. The traps I set went off, until only one detonator remained. I had held up in the building, it being the only thing still left standing. As the Covenant forces swarmed my position, I fought my way to an exit, thumbing the detonator with the building right behind me. The explosion knocked me down, my shields failing then quickly recharging. My helmet's visor cracked and was about to shatter; and I found that my HUL had broken off. Not like I was going to need it for long.

Getting up, I ran into a squad of Elites.  
"Still? Let me die in fucking peace; dammit!" I shouted, spraying them with my MA37 and Kat's Magnum. They rushed me one at a time, slowly knocking me to the ground and inevitably, one shoved its energy dagger into my chest.

My eyes drooped closed, with the Elite withdrawing its dagger and stepping away; my last sight was the Covenant cruiser above about to glass the area…


	2. Awaken, Reclaimer

_**A/N: For those that missed the first one, this is my first ever public story.**_

_**Also; sorry for the info dump. The cliche upgrades thing won't be as OP as it sounds; I've plans to "nerf" them in ways. And the humor, well; I tried.**_

* * *

_**Reach**_

_**August 31, 2552**_

_**0106 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

My eyes shot open, as a silver metal ball hovered me and itself through a facility.

"Huh? Wha?" I mumbled, still somewhat sleepy and in pain.

"Oh, Reclaimer! I found you heavily injured and decided to bring you into my facility to heal you and repair your combat skin!" The ball greeted me cheerfully.

"Sierra B312, Noble Six, sit-rep?"

"I am Monitor 589 Ardent Reflection, Reclaimer; now just rest, medical care will be here shortly."

When I woke up again, my armor was on a stand by the medical bed I was on. I had on a UNSC T-shirt and fatigue pants.

"Ardent? Where are you?" I asked. I figured I should look for my only guide in this facility, and deal with figuring out what to do next later.

"Ah, Reclaimer; I have repaired and upgraded your armor, and I have recovered many things I believe you may like. I can inform you of your armor's additions." 589 Ardent Reflection said.

"I'd like to hear what you've added to the armor." I responded.

"Of course Reclaimer; the combat skin is now able to create hardlight shields, and there are 3 layers of them; with the interior hardlight and the other two your normal energy shields, and the suit is able to shape the hardlight shield via your upgraded neural implant. The combat skin is integrated with all of the 'armor enhancements' and all have been upgraded to be stronger, or more efficient. Each enhancement now lasts for 15 of your minutes, and recharge within seconds, although if your suit's capacitors are empty, they will take at least 24 of your hours.

Your enhancements have somewhat fragile upgrades as I was quite rushed; so they may fail on you. Your combat skin comes with capacitors; able to recharge through the ArmorLock enhancement, energy absorbed by your shields, or through the reactor in your combat skin. I have miniaturized the reactor and increased its efficiency by a factor of 10 to the exponent of 4. Your weapons have been upgraded to fire hardlight rounds, although you can switch between your old ammunition and the hardlight rounds if you find the hardlight to have too much stopping power." The monitor rambled, going a mile-a-minute; and I interrupted him.

"Whoa, hey; did you...fix some of the more...organized etchings on the weapons? Those are a little sentimental…"

"Of course not Reclaimer, the ones that resembled alphanumeric markings were left alone for further review, you can select the ones you wish to keep." Ardent Reflection stated, bringing up a holographic screen for me to select the markings I wanted to keep on the guns.

"Now, as to the other upgrades, your weapons are able to be stored in a pocket dimension of sorts, with a small stockpile of your old ammunition in there as well if you prefer those. However, it is recommended you not deploy more than two weapons at once, as the strain on summoning ammunition from the pocket dimension cannot handle more. Your combat skin has been altered in other ways such as weight and material, but those changes should be quite noticeable once you don the suit."

As I finished selecting the desired markings to keep on my weapons, I turned to the monitor and said "So what were those 'things I may like' you noted to have recovered?" while putting on the upgraded suit, noticing I could just 'materialize' it onto me on command.

"Using your TacPad; as you call it, I discovered your penchant for vehicles and the damaged aircraft near your position. I have also recovered and repaired several other vehicles and given them upgrades similar in line to your armor, with minimal hardlight shielding, conversion to hardlight rounds, reduced weight, and a few enhancements were integrated into them."

Intrigued, I asked "What sort of enhancements?"

"Your Active Camouflage, Drop Shield for ground vehicles, and all your aircraft are equipped with the 'Evade' enhancement. All the vehicles are able to fire their weapons independently of you, though it will relinquish control if you so request. They are also able to be stored in the same pocket dimension of your weapons and can be called upon, however only one can be deployed at once."

"Well, let's see what vehicles there are." I said, excited. After all, vehicles were my specialty.

As I was hyping myself up to see what kinds of toys I would have to play with, a yellow field engulfed me and the monitor, transporting us to a vehicle bay. As I panned my eyes past the Mongooses, Pelicans, Falcons, Scorpions, and even a few Sabres, I saw a whole swarm of Warthogs and their respective variants. I was pretty sure I squealed in delight a little at seeing at least 10 of them outfitted with the MLRS turret.

"How accurate is the automatic tracking?" I asked Ardent Reflection.

"In testing the constructs could hit their target at 64.41% accuracy." The monitor replied with a hint of shame. It should be much closer to 100%, but the facility here is not the best of facilities."

"Good enough for me. More than enough." I brush him off, trying to cheer the monitor up. "Say, any other curiosities you got your hands on?"

"Oh, yes! I found that you had experimented with a different look, and have a second combat skin that you can swap between! It is the EOD armor according to your TacPad, but with other 'Mjolnir' types of armor; which produce a much slimmer profile than your current combat skin. It can come with a different color scheme if you have any preferences…?" The monitor asked.

"Sage Green with brown highlights." I answered. "By the way, did you change anything about...me?"

"I simply amplified the effects of your augments by a factor of 1.5, Reclaimer. Any more and it would have caused severe issues to your body. Your arms have implants installed in them now that are able to project person-sized hardlight barriers, although it will consume your nutrients so do watch your vitals; I've placed a bar that roughly measures such a thing on your TacPad and have made the TacPad's information able to be recalled via your neural implant."

"Huh, neat."

"Now Reclaimer, this world is ruined and intruders are beginning to break into this facility. I have a portal system for you to use if you wish or if you desire, you could try to fight your way out."

"I'll take the portals; but can you…'store' all these items; and possibly destroy this facility?"

"Of course;" Ardent Reflection answered as bubbly as he had been for the last hour or two of the facility's semi-tour and equipment brief.

Still curious, I asked "Actually, I never asked; what is this place exactly, looks similar to that place under Sword Base."

"Indeed, both facilities were constructed by the Forerunners;" Ardent Reflection began, and he continued to give me an abridged version of the history of the galaxy as well as the Flood, sending the relevant information to my TacPad as we made our way down to the portal room.

"We have arrived, Reclaimer. There are more upgrades and additions I was not able to mention to you, but you should be able to discover them along the way." The monitor seemed sad to see me go, and it kind of made sense; I had basically ordered him to commit suicide and to destroy the only home he has ever really known after he waited for any human to show up for hundreds of thousands of years.

"If you wish, you could always hop along in the suit;" I offered, a small part of me secretly hoping he would say yes.

"I'm sorry Reclaimer, but as much as I would love to go with you, my duties rest with this station." Ardent Reflection said, very sad and contemplating if his facility would really have to be destroyed.

"Alright then, you don't have to detonate the station, just terminate the Flood forms and it should prevent Reach from turning into an even worse hell." I compromised; I was gonna miss the AI that had saved my life and gave me a second chance.

"Thank you Reclaimer, now just select a planet on the screen and the portal will take you there. I will destroy the portal device after you; it is only a prototype and the intruders will attempt to chase you." The monitor had a tone of finality, nothing could change his mind.

"Thank you Ardent Reflection. It's been a pleasure." I said, feeling a sense of loss as I selected Earth, knowing the technology I wore and carried with me could change the tide of the war.

The portal opened, and I walked through. As I entered, I could hear the portal violently collapse on itself; most likely destroying the equipment. Sighing, I walked towards the other end, but a strange fluctuation caused me to be sent hurling forwards, and as I emerged I could see a city, marked 'New Mombasa' on my map. A Covenant Assault Carrier hung barely above the city, starting to open a slipspace portal. I was right above the ship, and falling alongside several ODST drop pods.

"Shiiiit!" I yelled, as the portal engulfed me.

I was still yelling and cursing as I slammed into grassy soil.


	3. First Contact

_**A/N: As a treat; have another.  
I don't have the time to keep dealing with life and this; although I do have *cough* about 40 pages already typed *cough* so I will continue with what I already have.**_

* * *

_**Unknown Planet**_

_**September 2, 2552**_

_**0432 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I awoke, buried in a crater. The crater had ruined what appeared to be a peaceful clearing in a small grove of trees, the world so much brighter than...than…

**Reach.**

Bolting upwards and scattering my restraints of dirt into dust, I drew my Magnum and scanned the area. The memories of what occured within the last 24 or more hours since I had last fallen unconscious flowed into my head, as I engaged my active camouflage and swapped my Magnum for my MA37 Assault Rifle. Stepping towards the treeline, I checked my motion tracker and checked my TacPad to see if any of Ardent's other 'additions' would help. To my surprise a VISR-esque enhancement called Promethean Vision did just the trick. Enabling it and finding no hostiles, I visibly relaxed and deactivated the Vision but kept the camouflage up just in case. I then realized Ardent had upgraded my music player and uploaded all the music I could ever want onto it and fully integrated it with my neural lace. I also found that this planet had Forerunner installations, but some were inactive while the others provided me with some information on local happenings. But first, inspection of my weapons. I looked at my Magnum and realized it produced the hardlight rounds for me, meaning I only needed to power it with my hardlight shield. This seemed to be the same for every weapon, although the plasma weapons were just more efficient and the energy sword's blades were replaced with hardlight.

_**Unknown Planet**_

_**September 2, 2552**_

_**1030 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

People were attacking a village. Could be Innies. But last I checked Innies didn't wear clothing like that or have weapons like that. Then again, the whole world was outta whack. I lay still in the bushes considering how I would go about things. I was scrolling through my possible weapons list where I noticed that I could use plasma weapons. I was also searching to find a popular culture equivalent in our history. That was when my cloak decided to fucking short out.

"Goddammit, of course right now…"  
Fortunately, I finally decided on my weapons for the possible battle, a Magnum and a Plasma Rifle. Figuring I should switch to the alternate armor, I selected the appropriate buttons and watched as I was bathed in blue light as my armor changed from a steel-blue rugged scout look to a more slim look, with a lower profile and arguably more intimidating helmet.

Of fucking course, the blue light is what caused the bandits to notice me, not say; the fucking 7 foot steel and blue armor standing in the treeline.  
"Hey Tinman! Nice armor you got there, shame I'm gonna have to ask you to hand it over." One of the bandits called out. The others turned to me as I dashed towards the speaker; grabbing them by the throat and snapping their neck. Using the voice modulator within to enhance my voice and make it sound much deeper, I growled "**You made a mistake coming here.**"

The bandits hesitated before they did the mental math and tried to attack me, but I had already started to draw my weapons. The Magnum came up first, and I flicked off several hardlight shots, watching as it cut right through their flesh. The plasma rifle came up and started firing as well; the plasma burning into flesh. The bandits screamed in pain and the ones who were charging me hesitated, but continued hearing my Magnum click. I holstered both weapons and withdrew both mine and Emile's knife, dashing into the fray.

Slash, stab, dodge. Enemies trying to strike from behind. Spin, jump, kick. Turn on my jetpack enhancement for increased mobility. Fly upwards and use it to evade strikes. Fall, stab, turn, kick, slash, punch, knee, kick. Incoming strike. Block, stab, punch, throw body at hostiles. My shields flared. Infantry with small-arms; guessing by how much my shields went down. Focus on melee fighters. Kick, slash, stab, throw knife at hostile charging from behind. All melee hostiles dead, grab knives.  
As I looked around, I spotted 6 bandits with rifles trying to break through my shields. Annoyed, I didn't want to show my full hand just yet. I casually sheathed the knives and drew Kat's Magnum, switching to UNSC ammunition. I checked to make sure it was full, then I quickly leveled the pistol. 8 shots rang out, my Magnum still smoking. Every shot made the bandit's stumble, rather than kill them; with a small flash of light protecting them. Natural energy shields?! At least it seems to only take a few shots to get through them.

"Oh, now that is bullshit." I muttered, disappointed I didn't get to save ammo on them.  
The two bandits I had double tapped were, however; very dead, their bodies slumped to the floor.  
Using the voice modulator again, "**This won't go well for you; I'd tell you to run, but I don't like runners.**"  
The bandits were definitely considering running. If they did, I'd probably have to switch back to hardlight and take out their knees. In fact…  
Switching back to hardlight rounds, my Magnum shot them in their knee caps, needing all eight rounds before it took more power from my armor, making a click as it reloaded itself. The bandits all collapsed to their knees, trying to hold their wounds. I simply tsked and scrolled through weapons I could use, swapping my plasma rifle for an assault rifle and swapping my knife for a customized Humbler stun baton.

"**Y'know, where I'm from, they called me 'Hyper-Lethal'; only one of two to ever be called that. I think it's time for you to experience what happened to all those people I made disappear.**" I spoke, the modulator doing its work. Inwardly I was fucking laughing my ass off, I hadn't even mentioned anything crazy yet. I figured I should make it quick and help the villagers before more things happened, as it seemed a VTOL aircraft was approaching. Whoever, they were, I didn't plan on sticking around long enough to be forced to go with them; seeing the technology level here.

"**I'd love to talk some more, but as you can see I'm tight on time. Sorry, but no witnesses.**" I said, drawing my Magnum and ending all of them with one shot to the head.


	4. Discovery

_**A/N: I still haven't entirely worked out what genres this falls under; but keep in mind that I do know where I want to take this; I only have a few things to iron out; like how to get there. Because I write about 70% of this on the fly; I seriously need to check things.**_

_**Fun Fact: I only recently caught the fact that the entire story(at the time 30 pages worth of text) was using the timestamps of:  
August 36, 2552**_

_**Again; some mistakes I don't always catch.  
Please point them out if any arise.**_

_**New edit: Thanks for pointing out that issue, Guest-Questioner. I had originally planned to show it as 'continuous thought'; but adding a few spaces does help pace it out.**_

* * *

**_Remnant, Unknown Village, Anima_**

**_September 2, 2552_**

**_1100 Hours_**

**_Raven Branwen_**

I watched in bird form, deciding whether or not to reveal myself and fight this armored man myself. It couldn't be a robot, although Atlas robots were too jerky, too stoic. This person was casually taunting my men, holding them at his mercy. They deserved it, anyways. They couldn't stop one man all one their own. Strong over weak. A Bullhead landed near the village, as the armored man executed my men and started rifling through my men's belongings; looting their kills. They looked straight at me, looking me dead in the eyes as they grabbed a Scroll. I shuddered; they might know. Then, they disappeared right before my eyes; like what I had seen was a hallucination.

* * *

_**Remnant, Unknown Village, Anima**_

_**September 2, 2552**_

_**1100 Hours**_

_**Huntsman Team RACR**_

"Alright, a bandit attack has just been reported by this village. Details they provided suggest the Branwen tribe are the primary suspects so priorities are to track down the bandits first and helping the villagers second." The team leader said.

"Hey Razz; this is the Branwen tribe we're talking about. How the hell are we supposed to 'track them down'?"

"How about you shut your chattering mouth and get to work Aero?" The team leader shot back. "Team RACR, search and clear the village of bandits and help any villagers you find. Priorities kick in after we clear the village." He continued.

"Got it boss." Char and Rust responded.

Spreading out from the Bullhead as it took off, Team RACR spread out through the village, while Raven watched them, waiting to see just how much they knew about the Tinman that had torn apart her men.

* * *

_**Remnant, Unknown Village Outskirts, Anima**_

_**September 2, 2552**_

_**1120 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I tried to link the TacPad with the electronic device, but I couldn't figure out how to fucking activate it.

"Piece of fucking shit…" I mumbled, finally deciding that these people might be more advanced than I figured. It was at that point I noticed the seam down the middle.

"Oh you've gotta be shitting me. They've got holographic tech and shit, but not any sign of space travel or anything? This better be the fucking underdeveloped area I landed in…" I scowled, opening the device. It read 'Scroll' and some various logos. It was a lot like a datapad, surprisingly. Playing around with it a bit more led me to learn I could control the size by how I opened it, and I soon found the port on the bottom.

"Ah. Do I have a universal cord or…" I asked myself as I found out my fucking TacPad could project a proper cord out of hard light after scanning the damn port.

"Why didn't Ardent tell me about half this shit?!" I groaned.  
It was at that time I began scrolling(haha fuck you too) through the information available.

"So; 'Remnant, huh? No space travel, but we got fucking carriers that can fly. Granted, none of them are near as large as a UNSC Frigate; but only one power source? Shameful. Just shameful. If this 'Dust' fails, the whole damn world comes crumbling down." I mused. On the other hand, can I disable Dust in any way? Gonna have to check that out. ArmorLock might be useful…" I kept musing until my motion tracker lit up like a fucking Christmas tree. Putting away the Scroll, I ready my Humbler baton as I look around.

Wildlife. Black, with white plates, bone armor? White spikes; too.  
Encircling me. Pick out the Alpha. Larger, and meaner.

Watch. Wait.

Alpha shows an opening; the other wolves-I think?-waiting for its signal. Charge in, swing Humbler deep into its side.  
It recoils in pain, but none of them have any intention of running away.  
Still circling. That's it. Reach for my MA37 Assault Rifle.

Seeing opportunity; they charge. No time. Just fists; then.  
Punch, kick, sidestep, pivot, duck; kick, round-house, punch.  
They get a few hits in. Shields flaring; need to get out of the way.  
Roll, sidestep, dash. Find a rusty as shit rifle on the ground. Pick it up.

Bolt-action. Loaded with a full clip. Dodge a swipe; steady. Aim. Fire.  
The black wolf recoils, but keeps charging me. Keep the fire up.  
**Click.** Shit. Switch hold on the rifle to hold like a club. Swing, bash, kick, jump, stomp.

5 down; 10 more. Alpha's still standing.  
Charge, rifle barrel towards the Alpha.  
Jab the barrel into the Alpha; Spartan strength can do wonders sometimes.

Alpha howls; kick what's left of the rifle further in. The rest of the pack closes in.  
Turn, Axe-kick. Punch, grab; toss into another.

Grab Emile's Kukri. Slash, punch, stab, kick, slash, whack, punch, stab, slash.  
That's all of them. Turning back towards the Alpha, it struggles back to its feet. Must have knocked it down. The Alpha, tilting this way and that; charges.  
Slide under, stick the kukri deep into its underside and slash downwards.

Alpha finally dies; falls onto me.  
Brace. It's pretty damn heavy.  
All hostiles down, that was a little concerning for a bit, but unarmed combat never had been my specialty.  
Now, to find out what the fuck those things were...

* * *

_**Remnant, Unknown Village, Anima**_

_**September 2, 2552**_

_**1124 Hours**_

_**Huntsman Team RACR**_

Rust approached the edge of the village, nearing the clearing before the treeline when he saw something.

"Wait up, we're supposed to stick together-Oh Gods!" Aero rushed around the corner, demanding; before recoiling in shock.

"What's happening?" Razz asked.

"Got a pile of bodies here. Most are brutally stabbed; others were just executed." Rust responded.

"Any indication of who did this?"

"A few shell casings, but they don't look like anything I've ever seen."

"The Academies are definitely gonna want to know about this."

* * *

_**Remnant, Unknown Village, Anima**_

_**September 2, 2552**_

_**1130 Hours**_

_**Raven Branwen**_

So, no knowledge of the Tinman; huh?  
I watched them for a little while longer.  
Having gathered enough information; I took off.

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**September 4, 2552**_

_**0600 Hours**_

_**Ozpin**_

I reviewed the report once again, checking to make sure I read it correctly.

"Haven't you read that report enough times already? You've still got to finalize all the applicants; you know." A blonde woman in a white top with purple and black skirt and cape.

"Glynda, I'm fine. I'm just thinking…" Ozpin said.

"Another possible agent of Salem?" Glynda asked.

"Possibly; but if not, what kind of third party are we dealing with here?" I mused, looking at the report again. "The only trace of this person is a pile of bodies and a few shell casings, and the wounds indicate use of several types of dust even though there are no traces; there aren't enough casings to account for the wounds and some of the wounds produced can't even be recreated by dust." I continued, pondering.

"Oz?" Glynda asked.

"Get Qrow. I'll be here, in my office." I answered.

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**September 4, 2552**_

_**1036 Hours**_

_**Qrow Branwen**_

I stepped out of the elevator and into Ozpin's office.

"Oz; why did you call me here?" I slur, the alcohol not fully worn off yet.

"Qrow, I just finished contacting my other associates. I need you to find the person responsible for this." Ozpin said, sliding a folder across the desk as I sat down.

Opening the folder, I could only see one sheet of paper. "Oz?" I asked; confused. We usually have a bit more information than this before they send me out.

"Read it Qrow, you may find yourself intrigued as well." Ozpin answered.

I opened the folder, finding a small report detailing a Huntsman team's mission.

Their mission was rather uneventful. Strange, given the circumstances. Against my former tribe and my sister? They would have barely stood a chance. But…

"A pile of bodies?" I asked, concerned.

"That's all that was found. We believe the person behind this has advanced technology. The likes of which we have not seen on Remnant." Ozpin answered. Thank Gods he wasn't being cryptic this time around. "What little evidence we found at the scene has no trace of Dust residue; and frankly the casings don't even appear compatible with Dust." He continued, seeming very tired.

"Look, Oz; I'll find the guy, just relax; I'll get it done." I said, getting up and walking onto the elevator. "Don't worry yourself, I'll try and find their trail."

* * *

_**A/N: Genres will changes; probably rapidly.**_

_**Humor will never go away; but it will definitely not be a main focus.**_

_**Probably gonna try to get a few out every week; at least until I reach where I've actually written to.**_

_**No serious shipping or any of that stuff; a person of my caliber has no business writing romance.**_

_**Arkos? Bumbleby? Other ships?  
**__**Maybe. Expect canon ships existing.**_

_**Seriously though; how is my dialogue.  
I don't do that talking thing a lot(Ok, I do; but still. I'm a clueless bastard sometimes).**_


	5. Introductions and Bad Decisions

_**A/N: Yep, it's still going and won't stop going until I at least hit where I've already gone to. I know the pain of the incomplete story and stuff; so my plan is to see it to it's (vague) end. Expect (several) clusterfucks along the way.**_

_**Why you ask?**_

_**You'll see.**_

* * *

**_Remnant, Unknown Forest, Anima_**

**_September 5, 2552_**

**_1145 Hours_**

**_Sierra Beta-312_**

After hiking for a damn long time away, I had been scrolling through the vehicle directory; and found an interesting tidbit while switching back to my original armor.

"M313 Elephant? I remember hearing about these…" I mused, trying to remember the specifications of the vehicle.

Mobile fire-base; able to carry up to 5 Mongeese and 2 Warthogs. Several HMG turrets, one M41 Vulcan, and a whole stockpile of weapons, armor, and even occasionally nerve gas.

"Gonna want that, just need a large space...Shit." I said; looking around at the forest I was trekking through.

"Better see if that Scroll had a map…" I thought; remembering my priorities. The Forerunner facilities were overlaid onto the map, with the most on the continent called 'Sanus'; which was the largest. The largest concentration was over on a Dragon shaped island, which didn't seem to have any major population centers, only a few coastal villages with ports. Deciding to try to head to Sanus, I skimmed through the information about the two 'Kingdoms' there.

Beacon Academy; this 'Ozpin' character. Need more info but I can't find jackshit. I looked at the other 'Kingdoms'. Definitely not going near Atlas; they'd either force me into their army or try to dissect me on their medical table. Difficult choice. I need local contacts, but I've got jackshit in the way of possible allies without ulterior motives concerning me. Vale's where all the movers and shakers are mostly at; but it's got Beacon Academy right in the middle of it. Mistral is a bit isolated, but still connected enough I'd be caught outright. Vacuo's just absolute shit; too much crime, corruption, and over all way too under-developed. Menagerie might work, but I'd need something in the way of a contact first. I sighed, I've done this bullshit before and it always sucked.

Vale it is.

I started walking off, when I came upon a small trail and saw a woman in a forest green cloak trot by on a white horse. Shit. Don't want to reveal myself just yet.  
She seemed to notice something wrong, turning back around. Probably noticed the 7-foot steel grey and blue statue watching her. She reached her hand for something beneath her cloak, probably tensing for combat.

"Hello;" She said, with probably a bit more nervousness than actual malice.  
"Good morning. I was simply wandering when I came across this road and you rode past. Can I help you?" I asked, as kind as possible. She seemed apprehensive, and tried as she might at masking emotion; you can't hide that kind of stuff from a spartan trained to read people like they're open books. She had slight bags under her eyes, and her stance was way too tense.

"No, I'm fine. Now would you please just leave me alone?" She seemed to relax after affirming I did not mean her harm. It was now that I could see her actions other than combat; something was up.  
"I can tell something's on your mind. I'm trying to hitch a ride to Vale. Mind coming along?" I asked, to get her mind off whatever it was.  
"Uh; sure. Yeah, sure. Why not." She seemed distracted; but agreed. She seemed hesitant, but stuck out her hand. "I'm Amber. Recently graduated Huntress from Beacon."  
"Beacon Academy? Isn't that the prestigious academy in Vale?" I asked.  
"The one and only." She seemed to brush it off. Alright. Now this is a possible contact, if my constant cynicism doesn't turn them away.  
"Pretty cool; I'm Six." She looked at me very confused; as if asking me 'The fuck kind of name is Six?' "Sixth of my squad. Most went down fighting." I answered, wondering if I left enough information to figure out what I was or not. I would usually keep quiet about this stuff, but I couldn't come up with a workable fake name or avoid giving away what I did.

"Well, my Scroll tells me the nearest skyport is a few minute's walk from here." I raised the Scroll I took off the dead bandit, only to realize it was still plugged into my armor...and it was also slightly coated with dried blood and dirt. "Heh, I uh...had a run in with a few bandits and uh...yeah…" I hope that was a sufficient explanation because that was possibly the shittiest lie I've ever told; even before Spartan training.

"Uh huh…" Amber answered.

* * *

**_Remnant, Unknown Town, Anima_**

**_September 5, 2552_**

**_1200 Hours_**

**_Amber ?_**

We had stopped for lunch, though I still had my reservations about my 'traveling companion'; who was at least a head taller than me and clad in some heavy metal armor. Never mind that he claimed to be from Atlas, although his armor looked nothing like it and that no Atlesian soldier would carry so few weapons let alone let their Scroll get so dirty. Whatever; Ozpin had mentioned to be on the lookout for some kind of person with advanced technology; saying that if anyone ran into them, they were to try to recruit them. Really? On top of learning that I would be hunted for my powers, look for some mysterious boogeyman who killed a few bandits...Wait.  
I looked at 'Six', who was munching on some kind of ration bar; slightly tilting his helmet up so he could eat. It couldn't be him, could it?

Of course, that was when Qrow called, another of his 'welfare checks'. I sighed and accepted the call.  
"What is it Qrow?" I asked.  
"Is that armored guy with you?" He said; surprising me.  
"Yeah. Have you been following me this whole time?!" I whispered into the Scroll, so 'Six' didn't figure anything was up.  
"Yes, but that's not important right now. I'm pretty sure that's the guy Ozpin's got us looking for. One of my contacts described him wearing similar armor. Watch out. He's highly dangerous and might be up to something. Just try to get him to Beacon." Qrow ended the call.

* * *

**_Remnant, Unknown Town, Anima_**

**_September 5, 2552_**

**_1200 Hours_**

**_Sierra Beta-312_**

As I wolfed down the ration bar, I overheard a small ringing tone. Must be Amber's Scroll. That was when I overheard the conversation. I owe Halsey for those augments; because I would have been severely screwed if I hadn't heard that. And shit, I could have sworn I left no surviving witnesses back at the village. And how had someone been following us without me noticing? I had my eyes watching the motion tracker most of the time. I finished the bar and slid back on my helmet. It was then that my vision blurred; my head felt like a Hunter had decided to stomp around in it..

_"__That's a one way trip." I said,  
__"__We all make it sooner or later. Better get going Six, they're gonna need you down there. Listen, Reach has been good to me." Jorge said, walking over to me.  
__"__Time's come to return the favor. Don't deny me this." He said, handing me his dog tags and hoisting me up to the hangar door. "Tell 'em to make it count." Jorge finished, throwing me out of the ship.  
__I watched; numbly, as the Covenant super-carrier was split in half by an enormous slipspace portal. Then I saw the alerts. More of them. A whole damn fleet of them._

I started out of my flashback. My Beta Blockers must be running out...Gonna have to deal with that later; I have too many priorities to deal with. I felt something metal in my hands, and I looked down.  
I had Noble's tags in my hand; and my hands were clenched into fists and shaking.

* * *

**_Remnant, Unknown Town Outskirts, Anima_**

**_September 5, 2552_**

**_1215 Hours_**

**_Amber ?_**

It had been 5 minutes since 'Six' had just been staring intently at some patch on the ground while holding something metal in his hands, now balled into fists. I tried to snap my fingers, anything to get his attention.

He barely seemed to notice me.

I sighed, and sat down across from him, studying what he was doing. Upon closer inspection; his armor looked newer in places, with his camouflage netting and hood looking like they still had ash in them. Ash from what, Gods only knew; but that would be a question for Ozpin to ask.  
It was then 'Six' seemed to realize what he was doing and hurriedly shoved the metal objects in his hand back into a compartment on his chestplate, while getting up. "Ready to go?" He asked.

"I've been waiting several minutes for you to get up." I answered.  
"Oh...Uh...Sorry about that." He trailed off, seemed like he had other things on his mind.

"Come on, we're going to miss the airship if you don't hurry up." I said, getting on my horse and sending them at a trot. 'Six' seemed to pick up on this and I could have sworn I heard him say something about 'double-timing' and 'Spartans'; whatever those were, softly. As we kept going, we came across a small child kneeling in the middle of the road by a bicycle and crying. I stopped my horse and dismounted, approaching the child. Looking around for 'Six', the armored behemoth had disappeared. Shrugging it off, I figured he must have been left behind.

* * *

**_Remnant, Unknown Town Outskirts, Anima_**

**_September 5, 2552_**

**_1220 Hours_**

**_Sierra Beta-312_**

I took one look at the situation and immediately went into active camo. When I looked at the situation, it seemed harmless at first; but knowing the environment, something was up. Where was this supposed child and its parents? Why are no Grimm attacking? There's no sign of them anywhere near this area. I could only see a single teenage girl standing across from Amber as Amber walked towards her.

I activated my Promethean vision. That was when it clicked for me. An illusion; being cast by that teenage girl. The teenage girl was standing across from Amber, about to draw her weapon. I grabbed my Magnum and MA37, leveling the Magnum at the hostile's chest. It was standard UNSC ammo, so it wouldn't break their Aura, but it would disrupt the Semblance long enough for me to have another opening.  
I took aim, and fired. Decloaking, I called out to Amber; "It's an ambush! Get out of there!" She seemed confused before she caught sight of the girl who I shot, and drew her weapon; an extendable staff. Two others came out of nowhere; attacking Amber. They seemed to ignore me for some reason, although my active camouflage kicking back in may have helped. One was in a fire-red dress with detailing that seemed to literally glow like fire; and the other in a blue-grey jacket. The original attacker had a forest green color to her outfit, only wearing a bra for her top and several weapon holsters on top of her pants; which were covered in leather padding. Amber immediately took the initiative and struck with some sort of elemental powers.  
I figured it must be that 'Dust' at work and holstered my Magnum while running in with my MA37.

* * *

**_Remnant, Unknown Town Outskirts, Anima_**

**_September 5, 2552_**

**_1230 Hours_**

**_Amber ?_**

I had no idea how 'Six' knew it was a trap, but he saved my life. Appearing out of nowhere while shooting at the woman who was creating some sort of illusion. I started trying to use my Maiden powers, summoning a storm as leaves began to swirl around me. I channeled my Aura into helping boost this, levitating me and intensifying the storm. I struck with several gusts of wind mixed with fire, singing my would-be assassins and knocking them back.

That was when an absurdly heavy suit of armor barreled into them, and sent them flying.

It was Six, come to my aid. He held an automatic rifle, and he flicked some selector switch that made it switch ammunition; now firing orange rounds of some kind. I concentrated back on the task at hand; fighting off these attackers. I summoned forth fireballs and lightning, but the woman in the red dress formed a bunch of glass crystals and knocked my Aura down to about 30%. That was when I suddenly saw a blue flash and heard a large series of explosions; looking up to see an oversized jeep with a rocket turret firing at the attackers.

"Hop in!" Six yelled at me; and I scrambled for the passenger seat. As soon as I hopped in, he slammed down the pedal, sending us zooming off. "Hold on to something! My driving can be a little extreme!" A thud hit the jeep, making the whole jeep rock back and forth.  
I just held onto the handholds on the jeep for dear life as we raced off into the forest.

"Ah shit; we missed the airship." Six suddenly said; causing me to laugh a little.

* * *

**_Remnant, Unknown Town Outskirts, Anima_**

**_September 5, 2552_**

**_0100 Hours_**

**_Cinder Fall_**

I watched as the duo sped away, armored man and Fall Maiden; in some overly large jeep.

"Damn it! We almost had her if it wasn't for that...that thing!" I screamed; causing Emerald to flinch and Mercury to scowl. Mercury tried to stand, but his cybernetic legs collapsed beneath him, having several holes shot straight through them. I calmed down, planning my next move.  
"Cinder...Your arm…" Emerald said, seemingly shocked. I looked at my left arm, only to see that it was removed just above the wrist, the wound burned shut. Emerald herself was bleeding, her Aura had been depleted and her right arm hung limply, blood trickling down the arm. I couldn't show weakness. I simply burned my wound again to ensure it was shut and walked over to Emerald.

"Show me your wound." I ordered her, and she complied. The bullet had lodged in her shoulder, but the muscle would heal with the help of Aura.  
I walked over to Mercury and remolded his legs back into a structural enough shape; ignoring his screams of pain.

"Let's get going. We don't want to be around before anything else happens.

* * *

**_Remnant, Unknown Town Outskirts, Anima_**

**_September 5, 2552_**

**_1005 Hours_**

**_Sierra Beta-312_**

We had made it to the town, where I was able to stop and check on Amber. She seemed fine apart from a few glass splinters. Her 'Aura'; the locals' natural energy shield, had begun to kick back in, flaring up as it worked overtime to regenerate.

Satisfied that Amber would be fine, I turned to go and inspect the MLRS turret only to find some man in a white suit jacket with a red cape. He had some sort of sword-pistol that could shift aimed at me.  
"So...Might you be that Qrow Amber here was speaking to earlier?" I asked. He seemed surprised that I knew, while I slowly clicked the Rockethog's radio on. "Come on, sit down. I'll take us on a quick cruise around the town." I said, motioning to the empty seat Amber had left when I strapped her to the turret bed so she wouldn't roll off.

"Sure. Mind telling me how you know me?" Qrow answered.  
"Overheard on Amber's Scroll. Speaking of; if you were tailing us, how come you couldn't make it to help in time?" I said.

"Made it just in time to watch you and Amber hop in this car and drive off. Doesn't look like it, but this thing can drive fast." Qrow said, taking in the look of the Rockethog's interior; while pulling out a flask and taking a swig. "Want some?" He gestured with the flask, to which I shook my head.  
"Wouldn't do much; alcohol doesn't do much to me." I said, turning my eyes back to the road as I ambled the Rockethog around the town. Thinking, I remembered something. "Actually, we don't need that airship ride after all. Hang on. Where's the nearest clearing in the forest where we won't be spotted?" I asked.

"Uhh...A little ways away; I can navigate." Qrow answered.  
I drove as Qrow navigated, with Amber slowly waking up.

"Huh? Where?" She asked.  
"Relax, kiddo. You're in the back of the car." Qrow answered.  
"You're fine, Amber. I gave you a once-over and you had minor injuries." I said; bringing the Rockethog to a stop. "We're here. Dismount." I said, hopping out of the jeep; the others following suit.

I dematerialized the Rockethog and scrolled through my TacPad until I reached Pelican.  
"Alright, now everyone should get on back to the treeline. Tell me when you're ready, because if I bring this out before hand it might crush you." I warned, the others stepping back into the treeline. Selecting the Pelican, I could see the outline of it on my HUD, and confirmed my selection with my neural lace.

A green-grey Pelican dropship appeared in a blue flash, and I ran about checking the weapons and engines. "You can either help me run through the pre-flight checks for this or you can strap in and wait for me to finish." I said while inspecting the 70mm rotary cannon.  
"Heh, Ruby would love this stuff…" Qrow said, while helping Amber into the Blood Tray. "How'd you get your hands on this kind of tech anyways?" He asked.  
"I got my contacts. Being an expert engineer helps too;" I responded, remembering how the others in Beta company and my trainers would wonder why I was so fascinated with physics and materials science. They forced me to take marksmanship more seriously after I started challenging Kat and the others to shooting contests to see who was more accurate. The trainers always wondered why I was so 'sociable', as Kurt-051 put it. I finished the final checks on the exterior and headed into the cockpit. I flicked a few of the switches, closing the ramp and bringing up the landing gear.

The engines began to whine, and I dropped a waypoint at Beacon Academy as the Pelican lifted into the sky. It wasn't long before the ocean came into view, and Qrow came up behind me.  
"That was fast. Usually it takes about an hour to get to the coast from where we were." He commented.  
"Well, superior propulsion, y'know how it is." My response, while callous; contained as little information as possible.  
After about half an hour of ocean, we were above land once again, with Qrow having taken the co-pilot seat to take in the view. Of course, that was when the motion trackers lit up.

"Got an airborne bandit at 5 o'clock." I said, "Qrow, get to the back. There will be a turret there, just mount it once I lower the ramp.  
"On it." Qrow said, turning and heading towards the back. "Huh? It's the White Fang! They're managing to keep pace with us somehow!" He exclaimed.  
"No way anything can keep pace with this unless they're using a semblance. Ready up. We distract them long enough so I can pull a few tricks." I explained, tightening my grip on the controls.

"This is the White Fang! Land or we will shoot you down!" The airship behind us broadcast.

"Six, turret's ready!" Qrow yelled.  
"Qrow; light 'em up!" I responded in kind.  
The ramp lowered to show the White Fang aircraft. Qrow immediately began to pull the trigger and held it down, hosing the hostile aircraft with bullets.

The aircraft went down, trailing significant amounts of smoke and the cockpit shattered and splattered with blood.

"Good work Qrow, now let's-" A massive shriek cut me off, and a very large dot appeared on the motion tracker. It was fast, and it was gaining on us.  
"Nevermore!" Qrow shouted as the Pelican shuddered; something hit us.

"Shit! Taking evasive maneuvers! Hold on back there!" I shouted, banking the Pelican hard right as we neared Vale; the mountains passing below us. I figured some music could set a good tone; so I turned the radio on as I yanked the stick up, sending the Pelican into a steep climb.

**Playing:**

**"****Check It Out"**

**By Oh The Larceny**

I sent the Pelican into a barrel roll as I prepared the Anvil missiles.

Could try using active camo, but it only works when going slow or is stationary.

I killed the throttle and the Nevermore flew past.  
I locked on and fired with the missiles; all of them landing on their mark.

The Nevermore was hurt, but still flying.

"Qrow, how well can you fly?" I shouted through gritted teeth as the Nevermore shot its feathers at us, clipping our left wing.  
"I can give it a try!" He yelled back as I gunned the throttle.  
"Good! I need you up here!" I shouted, as Qrow made his way up front.  
"Take the controls and dodge the Nevermore. I can draw its attention." I said, sliding out of the pilot's seat.

Stepping out of the cabin and into the Blood Tray, I saw Amber holding onto the handhold by her seat. I took a look at the Nevermore, some giant bird Grimm with bone talons and feathers that could be launched like spears. I stepped back, readying myself to run out the back. My jetpack turned on, the small jet engines whining in tandem with the music.

I took off and leapt out of the Blood Tray, materializing the SPNKr launcher in my hands. The jetpack fired in a burst, propelling me above the Nevermore.

I sighted in, and fired. A rocket flashed out of the tube, slamming straight into the Nevermore; causing it to screech in pain. Sliding the SPNKr onto my back; I materialized my knives, as I landed on the Nevermore. I slashed upwards from its upper back to its head; leaping back into the Pelican as I sheathed my knives and withdrew the SPNKr once more. I shouldered the rocket launcher and fired at the bird Grimm, watching as the second explosive disintegrated its body. I reloaded and dematerialized the SPNKr.

"Well; that was an eventful flight." I quipped; walking back into the cockpit cabin.  
"Heh, my bad; Six." Qrow muttered; swiping his flask and taking several swigs as he let me take the controls.  
I wanted to question him, but I figured it was a touchy topic judging from how much he drank.

"Heads up. Beacon's coming up in 5 minutes." I said, engaging the landing gear and lowering the ramp.  
I swung the Pelican around, setting it down on the landing pad with the Blood Tray facing a figure who was awaiting us. I decided to wait, as I wanted to see how they would react to my tech.

* * *

**_Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus_**

**_September 5, 2552_**

**_1110 Hours_**

**_Ozpin_**

I watched the green-grey airship land softly on the landing pad, its ramp was down and it allowed me to see into the aircraft as Qrow and Amber descended to greet me.

"Found your guy. Calls himself Six." Qrow said, walking towards me.  
"Well, that's an interesting name." I said, returning their greeting.  
"There's other things we need to tell you, but we need somewhere more private." Qrow continued; Amber nodding, although she seemed a little pale.  
"Alright then, to my office. Do I need to concern myself with this airship or…?" I asked.  
"It should resolve itself. If Six comes out. Six! Come on out!" Qrow hollered.

That was when the airship disappeared in a blue flash.

"Well; that was...interesting." I noted.  
"That's how he brought it in; a blue flash and suddenly; there it is." Qrow said as we began walking to the elevator for my office.

"And Oz, Queen may have pawns; three attacked Amber and Six injured them." Qrow added as we entered the elevator.

* * *

**_Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus_**

**_September 5, 2552_**

**_1110 Hours_**

**_Sierra Beta-312_**

I almost fucking face-palmed. I finally had time to actually look at the possible entertainment matches from the TacPad; and as if Life and Destiny decided to fucking make a joke of me, I discovered I had literally ended up in an anime. That was when I realized that if I were so 'unfortunate', I could now 'predict' the future.  
That'd be pretty cool. Keep the major movers and shakers off balance when I meet them. On the other hand, I needed to get to one of those Forerunner facilities and get that network up and running so I could have more logistical support.

"Six! Come on out!" I heard Qrow call for me. I cloaked and walked off the Pelican before dematerializing it.

If my 'prediction' was correct, then the white haired man in the black suit jacket over a green shirt and vest as well as dark green trousers was none other than Ozpin. Checking the information I had available; I had give or take a year or two before things started to really kick off. And if my information is correct; then that group that tried to kill Amber was none other than Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai, and Mercury Black. All of whom were extremely dangerous. I only survived because I had the element of surprise the first go around. I need to be more careful next time around.

In the meantime; I figured I would follow the group. I hope I have less lethal rounds than the UNSC bullets…

* * *

**_Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus_**

**_September 5, 2552_**

**_1125 Hours_**

**_Ozpin_**

"So he can summon vehicles and weapons out of thin air?" I asked.  
"It seems to be his semblance of sorts; every time he uses it a blue flash appears. But his Aura looks to be yellow, that's what it looked like when I saw him fighting." Qrow said.

"He claimed to be from Atlas when I first met him; saying he was sixth of his squad and that's why I should call him Six." Amber added.  
"Interesting. Anything else?" I asked; checking to make sure.

"Well, after we had stopped for lunch; he was just staring at something far off, as though he was remembering something. He had some metal attached to chains held in his hand; they had something on them but I couldn't see…"Amber said; thinking. "Oh! His armor seems more worn in places than others; like some parts were just replaced while the rest looked like he came off a battlefield." She added.

"I'm going to have to talk to James about his projects and see if any match up with this. Try to find him again; will you?" I asked, getting up to go refill my mug.

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**September 5, 2552**_

_**1130 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

They knew. A little too much; but that just meant I'd have to be careful from here on out. I decided that I would have to binge the whole damn show to make sure I didn't miss anything. From what I'm hearing; there were several games and even a fucking book. The amount of bullshit I have to deal with is absurd. But the meeting brought up more than a few memories.

_"__Contact with Visegrád Relay was lost last night. All signals flatlined at twenty-six hundred hours."_

_I passed a Falcon with a bald Spartan in it loading bullets into his SRS-99 magazine._

_"__I responded with trooper fire teams, which have since been declared MIA."_

_Another Spartan was leaning forwards onto the bale, resting on their helmet while talking with Colonel Holland.  
__"__And now you're sending us." The leaning Spartan said.__I recognized it. Carter. I must have passed Jun earlier._

_"__The Office of Naval Intelligence believes deployment of a Spartan team is a gross misallocation of resources. I disagree." Holland continued as a robotic arm moved to block my path. I stared at a Spartan in black and red sharpening his Kukri. Emile._

_"__Commander." An accent I haven't heard in a while. Kat. __Both the Spartan being briefed and the large one in Grenadier armor turn to face me.  
__"__So that's our new number six." The one in Grenadier armor said. Jorge.  
__I stepped forward, out of the doorway.  
__I figured I'd let them get it all out before speaking. Besides; briefings take priority.  
__"__Kat, you read his file?" Emile asked.  
__"__Only the parts that weren't covered in black ink." Kat responded as Carter turned back to Colonel Holland on the holoscreen._

_"__Anyone claim responsibility sir?" He asked._

_"ONI thinks it might be the local insurrection. Five months ago, they pulled a similar job on Harmony. Hit a relay to take out our eyes and ears, then stole two freighters __from dry-dock. That cannot happen here. Reach is too damn important. I want that relay back online, Noble One." Holland gave his orders, and we would follow them._

I took in my surroundings this time; still within Ozpin's office and attempting to gather information; although the empty seats and Ozpin sorting his paperwork indicated that the meeting was long over. I finally realized my hands were on my helmet; ready to undo the clasps. I removed my hands from my helmet and began to walk behind Ozpin, looking over his shoulder to read the documents. They were all student applications, but he eventually pulled up a holoscreen of sorts and began a call to someone named James Ironwood. If I recalled my brief skim through the bullshit I had experienced; Ironwood was an Atlesian General and Ozpin thought he might have something to do with me. The call picked up, with Ironwood looking very clean shaven and professional.

"Oz, it's been a while." Ironwood said, his face seemed tired.

"Indeed it has; James. However, an incident has arisen; the Queen may have pawns, until recently as an unknown variable has helped slow them down." Ozpin said, his tone slightly...bemused?

"Unknown variable? Is this 'variable' a threat to us Ozpin?" Ironwood asked.

"Not yet, but I am calling you for a reason. Qrow was able to get a picture of our mystery man. He calls himself 'Six'. Do you know of any projects of yours that might produce this?" Ozpin asked.

"No, this doesn't match with anything we have in Atlas." Ironwood said.

"Interesting…" Ozpin muttered, shuffling through his papers as he took a sip from his mug.

I inched closer to Ozpin's desk, recording all the documents. I placed my hand near the computer, transmitting a virus; one of Kat's specials.

_"__Six, your file says your suit comes with a cyber warfare unit; right?"_

_"__Yeah, why?" I asked._

_"__Take this. It can help you crack into the Covenant battle-net faster." Kat said, handing me a chip._

_Plugging it into my TacPad, a Nephilim appeared on the screen._

The holoscreen flickered for a moment; surprising Ozpin as Ironwood seemed confused.

"I suppose my computer is getting old;" Ozpin noted, taking another sip from his mug.

The new bar on my HUD showed I had a minute before the files would be done downloading, although it was mostly just installing the backdoor that would take time.

"James, as wonderful as it would be to have the resources of the Atlas army to search Vale for Mr. 'Six'; you would only attract attention to our acts." Ozpin continued, waving his arm around to span all of Vale...only to stop mid-air as it hit something metal.

Fuck. I was detected by two of the most influential people in the world. I enabled electronic countermeasures and punched Ozpin's window; sending cracks spider webbing through the whole pane.

"Oz? What's happening? The screen burst into static!" Ironwood cried out.

Ozpin had drawn his cane and held it like a sword, swinging near me; probably chasing the shimmers from my shields.

A blonde woman in a white top with a purple and black skirt and cape burst into the room; waving a wand around as purple tendrils splayed out across the room. The active camo began shutting down, and the download was almost over. I flashed a hardlight shield in front of the woman; blocking her off.

I withdrew my Humbler baton and rushed Ozpin, stunning him as some green dome came up around him.

He struck out with a strike of green that depleted my shields, and I activated ArmorLock as he let out another burst.

When I ended my ability and let out the EMP burst, both their Auras seemed to flicker out; leaving them both wide open.

I struck Ozpin with my fist; grabbing his cane as his surprised face fell to the ground unconscious.

I threw the cane at the woman, who only barely managed to block it.

I used the voice modulator once more; turning my voice deeper and more demonic.

"**Sorry I can't stay, I have other...commitments.**" I said; chuckling as I let the holocall clear up and stared straight into Ironwood's eyes. The look in his eyes said it all. Fear, paranoia. The very emotions I had been sparking in Innies and Covenant for years.

Deciding my stay was long overdue; I rammed the window with my shoulder and jumped out.

I fell to the ground, locking my gel layer before creating a crater in the pavement.

I could do with a distraction, but how would I make one without compromising some of my tech?

Good thing they had me testing out the prototype E-WAR module for Mjolnir; it could crack Covenant battle-nets without a smart AI. This city's security couldn't hold that much more considering how easily I slipped into Ozpin's network. I activated the module, pressing three fingers to my helmet.

**Electronic Countermeasures: Active**

The words appeared on my HUD and I chuckled, imagining how stumped Ozpin and the others would be when they tried to find me.


	6. A Defender, Traitor, and Lone Wolf

**_A/N: COVID-19 got school out for half a month; so that's a thing. Yay?_**

**_In other news; I have managed to finally produce absolute nonsense that I truly believe to have no actual value here. Sorry if you think the previous was bad, but it passed my standards. The latest segment I have typed however, if not; and about 10 pages are going to be scrapped. Granted, 10 pages of a total of 60 pages being scrapped isn't much of note when the story you all see is still on page 32(on my document).  
_**

**_Of course, the moment I sit down and actually plan out how I want events to unfold; I lose all motivation. Why else would it. So; if this does suddenly go on hiatus, there's your answer. Sorry in advance if I do go on hiatus; but I do sink several hours into this and a break may be what I need._**

* * *

**_Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus_**

**_September 6, 2552_**

**_0652 Hours_**

**_Ozpin_**

I awoke to the ceiling of an infirmary; and I groaned as I sat myself up.

"Wha…" I mumbled, trying to clear my eyes.

"Ah, Headmaster, I see you are awake." Someone said.

My vision finally cleared enough to understand my environment; and I turned to see the academy's nurse.  
"I take it something occurred yesterday?" I asked.

"Yes, some metal...thing, it attacked you." I looked to my right and saw Glynda standing in the doorway. "It moved so fast; I could barely keep track of it. When I got to you, you had it on the defensive before it suddenly disabled our Auras, then knocked you out. It then jumped out of the window and disappeared." Glynda finished, shaking her head as the memories of yesterday flowed back into my head.

Something metal…  
Didn't Qrow mention 'Six' wearing metal armor with unprecedented abilities?  
"Hmmm...Do we have any footage of what occurred?" I asked, wondering if we even caught anything on the cameras.

"No; the footage looked like it was scrubbed of the images. According to the cameras; we were defeated by nothing. Ironwood was still on the call when I recovered you however." Glynda mentioned.

"I'd like to talk with him again; he may have some important information." I said, trying to haul myself out of the bed.

"Now slow down; you're still recovering, that fight did a serious number on your Aura, it needs to recover fully before you'll be fine." The nurse interrupted as I waved her off; simply reaching for my cane.

* * *

**_Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus_**

**_September 6, 2552_**

**_0940 Hours_**

**_Ozpin_**

"So, James; what exactly happened yesterday?"

"Oz, something made the screen burst into static for most of the fight; but I can tell you what I saw;" James said, looking clearly shaken by something. "Some...Armored demon; that had beaten you and stopped Glynda, I could only see the end but I could hear the fighting and it didn't last for very long." He continued; I had seen the same look from many a Huntsman who had tried to face down Salem herself.

"James, it's going to be alright. Look at me. This threat can be beaten; we just don't know what its weakness is yet." I reassured him, and saw the warmth return to his eyes; only for them to harden.

"Whatever it was Oz, it's dangerous." James agreed, sighing as he reclined into his chair.

"I have reason to believe...It was the same person who saved Amber from what appeared to be three rogue Huntsmen, and single-handedly fought off a small contingent of the Branwen Tribe." I admitted, rubbing my temples. "Amber reported him having soldier-like tendencies; and Qrow corroborated that with his account of the aerial fight he had. It would appear Mr. 'Six', as he calls himself, is a man of many talents. He claims to have been sixth of his squad; although we have no reports of a squad of at least six of these armored people."

"Oz, this is…" James trailed off, trying to find a word.

"Concerning? An opportunity? Strange? There are many words that would fit this situation." I suggested.

"So what's the plan for 'Six'?" James asked.

"We wait, and observe. I have a feeling he will know which side to pick in the end." I said.

"And if he joins Her?" James asked, fear creeping into his voice.

"Then we find a way to kill him; or outlast him." I answered, knowing that either outcome would come at a high price if it came to it.

* * *

**_Remnant, Kingdom of Vale, Sanus_**

**_November 3, 2552_**

**_1400 Hours_**

**_Sierra Beta-312_**

I had snatched some decent looking clothes from some poor locals and was now walking through the city's main plaza. The whole city was on the verge of falling apart.  
The police force was just barely holding on; with a record-high crime rate, the amount of Grimm attacks are skyrocketing; and the occasional terrorist attack. It was a miracle Vale hadn't fallen yet.  
Then I spied something in the plaza.

Some large holoscreen was posted up, and it appeared to be a bounty board of sorts; with missions for 'Huntsmen' and their teams to undertake for various monetary rewards.  
I scoffed after taking a step closer to see what was available.

Street patrols, Street cleaners, and the occasional posting to watch 'The Kingdom of Vale's Borders'?

These 'missions' were practically a joke. At least a few seemed interesting, Grimm-based missions mostly issued by the academy. If I wanted to obtain a steady supply of this 'Lien' that seemed to be the currency here, I would need a steady job.  
Bounty hunting might do the trick. Fortunately, I remembered reading that the villages and towns outside the borders of the Kingdoms had the more dangerous bounties.

It was decided then. I would stay for another week to understand the city, then I would leave.  
I walked into the old Industrial district, where people were generally left alone.  
The White Fang tended to dwell here, but they seemed to somewhat tolerate humans. Besides, if they tried to evict me, I would simply leave. If they insisted on doing more than relocate me; however, they would be in for a nasty surprise.

I slipped into my usual abandoned shop; only to find a small discrepancy.

The door was slightly ajar, the normally dusty sidewalk was now quite clean; and I swore I could even see some light pouring out. I cloaked and peered through the slight crack in the door.  
I saw a sword-pistol attached to a ribbon, and was that...a girl with cat ears?  
This world is fucking weird. I've fought Covvies off all on my own in all sorts of places; but this might take the cake for the strangest sight I've ever seen. I eased the door open, but her ears twitched and the sword-pistol was leveled at the doorway.

I stepped in and acted slightly shocked; but simply shrugged and offered some food and water I had bought.  
"Want some?" I asked. She seemed hesitant, and had kept hold of her weapon the whole time.

I didn't care much; I could summon hardlight shields to keep me safe and I had managed to jury-rig a personal shield emitter for a faded grey rough leather jacket, a dress shirt, and some jeans I had managed to swipe off some clotheslines. Besides, worse comes to worse I could summon my armor and weapons.

"A-alright." She almost whispered, before grabbing the food and the water bottle; sitting down in the corner opposite mine with a book in hand.

I made sure to stay away from the door, if she wanted to leave; she could leave. I kept an eye on my motion tracker via my neural lace to make sure I wasn't going to be ambushed while I ate. After all, I refused to let my guard down and be the Spartan that got killed trying to eat food or some other stupid shit like that.  
That was, of course; when I heard the sound of doors being knocked on. I heard something about the White Fang and recruitment.

Shit. The White Fang don't like humans and started trying to rough them up a few years back.  
I put a finger to my mouth; motioning to the door and 'knocking'. She nodded as I patted my Magnum while I posted up near the door.

Hoping my message would get across; I motioned knocking, then pointed at the door and then her. I continued to mime opening the door, waving and making a talking motion with my hand.

She seemed confused, then had a look of what I hoped was understanding.

* * *

**_Remnant, Vale's Old Industrial District, Sanus_**

**_November 3, 2552_**

**_1420 Hours_**

**_Blake Belladonna_**

This guy was human; willing to harm the White Fang if need be, and yet was willing to share food with me, a Faunus. It seemed strange but after realizing the White Fang wasn't all sunshine and roses I put it down to the White Fang's reputation.

Good thing I had gotten rid of the mask earlier; if this guy saw it I'd probably be a lot worse off.

I heard the White Fang recruitment patrol move closer and closer, door to door. They were walking down the street now, when one of them must have noticed my cleaning up; and approached the door.  
I had fortunately managed to get myself a ragged cloak and wrapped it tighter around myself; it wouldn't do to be called out as a deserter and bring more problems down on this neighborhood.

Then, the dreaded knock.  
I plodded over to the doorway, hiding most of my body as I opened the door.

"Hello ma'am; would you like to join the White Fang?" The recruiter asked. "We show the humans we Faunus aren't to be messed with!"

"No thanks; I don't think I can handle trying to dodge the military." I said; closing the door as the recruiter eyed me with contempt.

I could hear the recruiter walking away with the rest of the patrol.  
"We'll have to teach this whole block a lesson;" One of them said before their footsteps faded.

I was conflicted. I could run like I always had, or…  
"That patrol just say they plan on threatening the whole block?" The man who had offered me food asked; seeming furious.

"Yeah…" I said, not focused on what he was really saying. How would I get away? That would be easy. Just slip away before anything broke out. But should I really abandon a person who had offered me food and let me stay in their shelter when I had invited myself in?

"Hey, you alright?" He asked. I nodded as he spoke again. "By the way, I'm S.B. Moved in a month ago and I've been trying to help out where I'm needed. Surprised that recruiter didn't ask if you've seen me. Turns out they ain't particularly fond of humans helping Faunus. Probably challenges their beliefs too much." He extended his hand; and I shook it.

"I'm Blake." I responded. "Surely the White Fang aren't that bad; right?"

S.B. shook his head, "No, they're pretty desperate to look good for the Faunus so they keep attacking the Vale Police Department and 'encourage' the local Faunus to join up."

That couldn't be. Adam took human lives, but he wouldn't...Would he?

I then heard S.B. mutter "Gonna have to check on my assets; been getting reports of those three attackers…" What assets? Attackers? Who exactly was S.B.?  
And that was just the tip of the iceberg.

* * *

**_Remnant, Vale's Old Industrial District, Sanus_**

**_November 3, 2552_**

**_1425 Hours_**

**_Sierra Beta-312_**

Once I repelled the White Fang attack; I would most likely be compromised. Ergo; why bother trying to fight without my armor. That would be it.

I did suddenly remember something from the brief look through of the show about this world. Blake. Belladonna?  
She certainly looked, acted, and sounded the part; although she would have to lose the cloak. Interesting. I had already caused radical changes to Remnant's intended series of events; and it was only going to keep changing. I chuckled to myself; "Time fuckery's a helluva thing."

Blake's ears twitched. Shit. Faunus can hear very minute sounds.

"C'mon; let's get ready. Help me spread the word: I'm calling in a 'friend' of mine, he's good at this stuff. I'm gonna bounce a few minutes before; I suggest you do the same." I said, pausing at the door. "And Blake; aren't you a Belladonna?" I could hear her practically tense up. "I take that as a yes. Anyways; don't be afraid to go back to them; they'll understand." My voice lowered as I reflected on my past. "I've had to kill enough misguided kids already…"

_I stepped out of the shadows; Magnum in hand._

"_It's him! Open fire!"_

_I shrugged off the shots, checking my ammo and thumbing the first detonator._

_Explosions rocked the compound, the Innies sent flying as the explosions flushed out the hallways. Bullets splashed across my shields in retaliation.  
__I flicked my Magnum back and forth across my targets, firing as I went. All of them went down with one bullet in the head._

_One who I had instead nailed in the chest coughed up blood; the red liquid of life spurting out in fits and bursts.  
_"_Why...are you…doing this...Just...want...to be free..." The soldier asked as her life left her body; although I noticed she was barely 15. I heard debris shifting, and swung to engage; only to see a male soldier crawling towards her._

"_Jay...la...I'm here. It's going to be alright. You're gonna make it. You're gonna make it…" The male soldier cried as he tried to heal 'Jayla'._

_My orders were to eliminate all witnesses.  
__He had seen me; but ignored me to try and help Jayla. A damn shame._

"_Sorry about this." I said while aiming my Magnum at his head. He just looked up and his eyes were ones of realization._

"_Jayla...I'm sorry…" He said, his voice choked with tears._

_I pulled the trigger._

I opened the door and began to start going door to door notifying the community I had helped for a month that I would be going.  
They tried to give me gifts, but I refused. They clearly need the stuff more than me; anyways.  
After telling people of my departure; I walked into the old power station and summoned my EOD suit.

**Mjolnir Mk V Initializing…**

**TechSuit - Good  
****BioMonitors - Good  
****Shields - Good  
****Neural Connection - Good  
****Motion Trackers - Good  
****Weapon-HUD Link - Good**

**_Slipspace - Optimal  
_****_Hardlight Projectors - Optimal_**

The suit spat out its diagnostics as I got comfortable in the suit again. The last few lines were in a different format; they must have been the upgrades Ardent installed. I thumbed through the comms as an old habit and found a new signal.

**Facility Omega-42**

That was certainly new. I connected and suddenly I heard a voice.

"This is 025 Ashen Quarter filing Report #43-72116-029. The facilities reported a strange slipspace event approximately a month ago; although further research has revealed that the cause of the event was most likely destroyed. The test subjects have stagnated; their nation-states have not progressed anywhere significant and are instead relying on what appears to be the shards of Precursor artifacts for a power source; which I...Oh yes! We did dump most of those shards here! That would explain it! These shards appear to possess elemental properties; creating fire, wind, ice, and more. Odd. This was not catalogued in my files on the Precursors. And there appears to be an intruder…" The channel cut out; leaving only silence. Not even static.

I lowered the volume on my comms and checked my weapons.  
I think I'll go with the reliable Ballast Loadout; M45 shotgun and SRS-99 with an energy sword to back me up.

_I had stolen the active camo off a dead Elite a while back; M45 on my back and SRS-99 in hand. The Covvies had sent a whole goddamn company's worth of troops backed by armor through this city pass. I had to stop them; or failing that; delay them long enough for the bulk of the civilian transports to get off-planet._

_I was only armed with a Rockethog, an M45, an SRS-99, an Active Camo unit, and several grenades. On the plus side; the ammo for my weapons were enough to last years for a whole UNSC destroyer. The Covvie armor column advanced along the road, oblivious to the C-12 shaped charges in the buildings next to them._

_I had posted up on an overpass above the road, a singular turret ready for use. Then, my hearing saved me again._

_High pitched whine. Jetpacks.  
__Motion Tracker lighting up new contacts.  
__Must be Ranger Elites. I shift my aim to the lead Elite; but my aim missed him by a hair and the whole squad dove into cover on the rooftop._

_Good thing that one of the building's is rigged to blow. The armor column inches closer; hurrying up now to back up their scouting force.  
__I hold the detonator; firing off the occasional shot at the Ranger Elites on the rooftop._

_That's it. Come a little closer...now! I slam my thumb down onto the detonator.  
__The street was engulfed in fire as I hopped on the turret and opened fire._

Ballast was one clusterfuck of a mission; I could never quite aim right with the SRS-99; turned out the scope never linked quite right with my helmet. The M45 was a bit too close range for my tastes, but always got the job done.

I put both weapons on my back as I patted the energy sword on my thigh; walking out of the power station.

There was work to do.

* * *

**_Remnant, Vale's Old Industrial District, Sanus_**

**_November 3, 2552_**

**_2143 Hours_**

**_White Fang Squad_**

"Alright; let's show these cowards what happens to those who turn away the White Fang!" The leader said, the rest cheering in agreement.  
They moved towards the city block to exact their vengeance...Only to come across a man clad in heavy metal armor; olive green and dirt brown.

"Get out of the way; ya' wannabe Huntsman." One of the White Fang yelled; a few snickering at the idiocy of this armored man.

After all, who would wear such heavy armor? It would only serve to slow one down and Aura could more than handle a few hits.  
Then, the armored man spoke. "**Leave this place alone. Respect their wishes or I'll have to intervene.**"

The White Fang squad laughed at that, but the armored man disappeared before their eyes.

Confusion set in at once, with many wondering if that was this man's Semblance.  
It didn't matter, that armor was bulky enough to produce enough noise to alert them in time if he snuck up on any of them.

That was before their leader had two glowing blue prongs of light sprout from her chest.

The nearest White Fang member who turned to face the threat had their insides scrambled as hundreds of metal pellets shot their way through his chest.  
That was when the armored man appeared from thin air, wielding a shotgun and a handle of some sort.

"**Now, would you lot like to reconsider?**" He growled; loading more shells into his shotgun.

The group seemed hesitant before they tried to run, only to run into a Cat faunus with a sword-pistol and ribbon attached.  
Several members appeared to recognize her, asking "What are you doing here; traitor?!"

"Standing up for what I really believe in." She answered, leveling her pistol and firing off several shots at the group.

The armored man had pulled out a massive turret from nowhere; opening fire on the group as well. Those without Aura were brutally cut down as the others scrambled for some form of cover; only for two to fall forwards, vapor trails leading back to the metal behemoth. He put away a large rifle of some sort and drew his shotgun as he leaped into the fray; opening fire as he landed right behind one of the White Fang grunts.

Blood splattered onto the street; a beautifully macabre splash of death.

The cat faunus flung her weapon, knocking out one of the last 3 White Fang members. The weapon swung back, ribbon wrapping around another White Fang grunt; pulling his legs out from under him.

The last standing member; a Rhino faunus; charged at the armored man; who tossed his shotgun aside, staring calmly ahead.

Suddenly; the armored man's right hand shot out from his thigh and a distinct noise heralded the appearance of a two-pronged glowing blue blade. The armored man aimed the sword out and pivoted to the side as the rhino faunus threw himself onto the blade; unable to stop herself.  
The armor-clad man followed through, flicking the body away and off the blade as it deactivated.

* * *

**_Remnant, Vale's Old Industrial District, Sanus_**

**_November 3, 2552_**

**_2150 Hours_**

**_Blake Belladonna_**

I hadn't wanted to kill my fellow faunus; and had even tried to knock them out.  
S.B. 's 'friend' had other plans. He had brutally and mercilessly killed each and every White Fang member in the fight, with the rhino faunus's body being tossed aside without a care in the world.

He walked over to his shotgun and picked it up, strapping the sword back to his thigh.  
"**When that last one wakes up; let him go. Unless, of course; he knows you. In that case; leave no witnesses.**" He ordered; as the bodies of one of his victims twitched, only to receive a shotgun shell for its troubles.

With that, he began walking off; only to stop in the middle of the road and holster his shotgun.

* * *

_**Remnant, Vale's Old Industrial District, Sanus**_

_**November 3, 2552**_

_**2150 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I stopped in my tracks, holstering the M45 and reaching for the SRS-99.

The motion trackers had picked up movement from the rooftops.  
Nobody should have been on the rooftops; I had helped evacuate everyone from the area and only Blake and I were left. And Blake was on the street down here with me.

I waited; pretending to consider something when my motion trackers registered more movement. It might have been a shift in stance, or a small step to the side; but it was enough.

One small tick was all I needed.

I drew the SRS-99 and turned; Spartan Time going into full swing as I turned to find the blonde witch from Beacon. She had aimed her wand at me and purple tendrils had begun to fly out of it; barreling towards me.

I kneeled; aimed, and fired.

She was hit in her left arm, sending her flying backwards.  
And I was trying to use the UNSC bullets to stay 'non-lethal'. I hope there were some lock-down paint rounds otherwise I was going to have a hard time keeping my opponents alive.

Also; Purple Blonde Witch had really been sent flying! The last visual my helmet had on her said that she was at least 150 meters away and still going.

Damn. I should have tried playing Gravball when I had time. Noble Team would have made for an interesting match. I felt my throat choke up at the thought.  
Why me? Why did I get to live when Jorge, Kat, Carter, and even Emile died back on Reach?  
My vision went red; I could barely tell what was happening. I just knew I had to **make the Covenant pay**.

When I regained my senses; a whole building had collapsed, Blake was staring at me in horror and concern, sirens were going off in the vicinity, and the White Fang member had awoken only to start shaking uncontrollably.  
These Beta Blockers; goddamn miracle workers when they actually work.

I enabled my electronic countermeasures while cloaking; walking away.  
I had severely fucked up.  
I needed isolation; if only for a little bit. Coping mechanisms would come after.

Priority check.

Check on those Forerunner facilities; eliminate any Flood within.  
Honor Noble Team and Reach. Thom, too. Statues; maybe?  
Watch more of the anime I apparently ended up in.  
Make a base of operations; a proper home would be nice for once.  
Get some more local contacts; preferably without scaring the shit out of them. 'S.B.' would be a fine alias; but it might be burned due to this incident. So; a new one then. Alexander Noble? Kurt Mendez? Noah Halsey? So many possibilites.  
Get the fuck home; if even possible. If not; then I would most likely have to perform asset denial.  
If I can't get home; might as well start a couple contingencies; maybe start that family Noble would always bet that I would get somehow. Guess I'd owe Jun a six-pack of 2500 Harvest Whiskey. Shit; that stuff's rare.

That was about all the objectives I had, but I thought back to the transmission I had picked up.

'Test subjects'? Was the monitor referring to Remnant's population? That was a concerning thought in and of itself.

Managing to duck into a shadowy alleyway; I decloaked and stored away my armor and weapons; leaving only Kat's Magnum, the Humbler stun baton, and both mine and Emile's knives. All were hidden beneath my jacket, with Emile's kukri literally tucked into a sheath I had built into the interior, where the right breast pocket would be. My knife was in a shoulder sheath, down by my left side and hanging just above my hip. Kat's Magnum was not as concealed, left in a small pouch on my right thigh, right where the mag-locks would be on my armor. The custom Humbler baton was hidden on the small of my back, under my jacket. And of course, I had three small throwing knives hidden on my person. I was ready for a fight and could still look like an unarmed civilian.

Stepping out of the alley, I looked around at my surroundings. I was by the commercial district; near Beacon Academy. I was going to go and see if I could find a way to obtain some Lien, as I had some I stole off the bandits; but most of it was electronic and the rest had blood or scorch marks on them. That was when the televisions in a nearby store window started showing the 'Breaking News!'. I wasn't that interested but I needed to know what the public thought or knew of me so far.

"This is Lisa Lavender of Vale News Network. The latest in news, within the hour." The news anchor breathed in, and continued.

"A White Fang attack on a Faunus squatter community was thwarted; with the entire White Fang group being brutally killed. Only one survivor was found; what few images are available at this time are…extremely graphic. If you find yourself queasy; especially at the sight of blood, please look away." Several images of my carnage went up on the screen to the shocked gasps of the other pedestrians watching the broadcast. "The perpetrators who thwarted this White Fang attack are still at large and are to be considered dangerous. The VPD asks that if you have any tips on who they might be, to please report them at the anonymous tip hotline. The only statement the VPD has released at this point is this." The screen changed to the VPD Chief giving a statement to a couple of reporters. "We do not approve of this vigilantism, and we are still determining if most of these killings were in self-defense." The VPD Chief finished as the reporters began to hail the woman with questions. The screen changed back. "As you can see, not much is known at this time; although a large section of the city's Old Industrial District has been cordoned off by the VPD in their investigation." So; the whole place was blocked off. Good. I could make my escape and investigate those facilities. I walked to the skyport; figuring I would hitch a ride to the outskirts. After buying my ticket; I walked onto the skyport only to see a familiar sight.

_"__Six, time for you to leave. Get the package to the pad, and get your ass off this planet. I got your back." Emile said as I jogged onto the landing pad, tossing aside my Magnum; completely empty.  
__The Captain's Pelican swung around, ramp already down. Keyes stepped off as I drew the package and offered it to him._

_"__Good to see you, Spartan. Halsey assured me I could count on you." He said while taking the package out of my hands._

_"__Not just me, sir." I said; grip on my DMR tightening._

_"__They'll be remembered." He said, placing his hand on my arm. As he moved to head back onto the Pelican, a CCS-Battlecruiser pierced the cloud cover; heading straight for the Pillar of Autumn._

_"Cruiser, adjusting heading for the Autumn! Noble Four, I need fire on that cruiser or we're not getting out of here! Do you copy?" Keyes barked into the comms, making his way onto the Pelican._

_"You'll have your window, sir." Emile replied._

_Captain Keyes spoke again. "Bridge, this is the Captain. We have the Package. Returning to the Autumn, over."_

_"Copy that." The Autumn's bridge crew responded as a Phantom flew overhead, taking out the escort Pelican. It flipped and crashed onto the pad; sending me diving for safety._

_The Phantom swung around to the Onager MAC; dropping off its troops.  
__I grabbed my DMR as Keyes' Pelican took off. Suddenly, an Elite Zealot tried to attack Emile; who emptied a shotgun round into it. He stood up; pumping the shotgun, and fired again before shouting "Who's next!"  
__I watched on in horror as a second Zealot snuck up on Emile and shoved an energy sword through his back. Emile was pulled off, held by the throat as he pulled his kukri; shouting "I'm ready, how 'bout you?!" and shoved it into the Elite Zealot's throat. They both fell out of sight as Keyes' Pelican returned._

_"__Lieutenant, get on board! We gotta get the hell outta here!" One of the Marines shouted towards me._

_I responded, turning away from the Pelican. "Negative. I have the gun. Good luck Sir." If the rest of Noble died here; so would I. I began sprinting towards the building, grabbing ammo.  
__I ran into the nearest building; the weapon racks still mostly full even after the protracted firefight at the pad. I grabbed an M45 and MA37; loading both and filling up my reserves to full capacity._

_Sprinting back out the doors; I ran for the MAC cannon. I charged head-on into a Covenant squad; M45 blasting into the Grunts and the Elite who tried to stop me. I turned up the speakers on my helmet; my music blaring.  
__I burst into the building; fighting my way through all the Grunts while dodging shots from the Elites. The M45 finally runs dry and I hold it like a club, downing a Zealot's shields and caving in its skull. Tossing aside the shotgun, I grab the energy sword off the dead Zealot and charge its partner. The Zealot tried to back up while spraying me with its dual plasma rifles; but I lunged and the sword embedded straight into its neck. The head fell off as I deactivated the blade, running for the Onager MAC gun._

I regained my senses; the flashback was vivid. I couldn't help Reach; the planet had been glassed to hell.  
But I could honor it and the lives given in its defense.

I strode towards the airship and boarded, showing my ticket and being waved through.

As we took off, I could see the almost exact resemblance to the Aszod Shipyard's Platform Delta. Checking my ticket; I went to the room assigned to me and set down what little I had on me. It was then that I realized I still hadn't explored how the 'CCTS' worked. I had heard of it of course; and knew what it did, but I hadn't learned how or why it was built, the finer details of its construction. I figured I would try and watch the anime series that showcased the world I had apparently fallen into; Spartans can get bored, too. I pulled up the first proper episode and got comfortable.


	7. Ghosts of the Past

_**Remnant, Airship, Above Sanus**_

_**November 4, 2552**_

_**0500 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I woke up, grabbing my jacket and throwing it on. I stepped out of the room and decided to try and get my morning exercise in.  
After running my laps; I returned to my room and finished my morning routine. I checked the time and it was 0600. I was getting slow.  
I would have to find a place to seriously improve and maintain my body without drawing attention.

I also had to go find a place I could mope alone without attracting Grimm.

In any case; this was an airship, and the ride was going to take at least another day.  
I walked down to the dining hall to get breakfast while reviewing the list of possible destinations.

Patch seemed nice; although Mistral might be a good place to return to. Atlas would be a death sentence; with their hard-on for new tech and penchant for force. Vacuo just sounded like a rowdy Outer Colony; and I had enough worries already.

I grabbed a tray and piled on my food. I then walked over to an empty table and sat down to eat.

"So; where're you headed after this flight?" A voice said. I looked over. Female. Possibly mid-20s. She looked me over; as if appraising me.

"Not quite sure. Figured I'd try someplace quiet and peaceful; can't find anywhere that doesn't have a bunch of Grimm, though." I said; still looking at the map on my TacPad while I ate.

"Well; Patch is a nice place to try settling down. Got anyone back at home?" She asked. I could have sworn my eyes almost narrowed in suspicion but I ignored it.

"Seems like a nice place. Say; I keep hearing Mistral's not bad; is it any good?" I asked. "Only had a small hike through some of the villages on its outskirts."

"Well, if you like arts and stuff, then it's the place for you. However; my sort of clientele prefers to reside there." The woman said; and I finally looked again, and that was when I felt it.  
That feeling Kurt always told us; to trust in; to place our life in.

And that feeling was screaming '**Danger'** at me.  
Wait. I got careless.

Now I could almost sense the gun she had aimed at my side. My shields could probably tank it; but I had no clue what caliber it was. And that wasn't even counting the number of people who she might have had posted around the dining hall.

"What do you want from me? I'm just a freelance, small-time engineer." I whispered; understanding she would appreciate some secrecy.

"You know what I want? I want your organs. You know; the Mistral Black Market pays handsomely for pristine organs, especially ones from such a...specimen, like you." The woman said. She wore a light jacket that covered most of her body; easy to conceal weapons within, and high boots with what appeared to be very utilitarian additions, such as the belt having several straps to hold something like a magazine; the hidden sheaths for knives; and the suspicious bulge in her boot, one that looked an awful lot like a holdout pistol.

"Funny you mention that. I'm afraid you'll find yourself lacking the tools to perform such a procedure." I responded, feeling my Spartan Time beginning to set in.

"We can handle it." She said, smirking. "Now, head back to your room or I'm afraid things will get...messy."  
Standing up, I looked in her eyes. "How about...No." Spartan Time finally started slowing down my world; and I saw it.

The finger moving to pull the trigger; as my hand flew for my Humbler baton. My TacPad must have detected my thoughts; because I saw the status message appear out of the corner of my eyes.

**Playing:  
**"**Confident"  
****By "Demi Lovato"**

The music had started the second I reached for my baton.  
Spartan Time fully kicked in; and I saw her trigger going back.

Roll; draw Humbler, charge.  
She flipped backwards.

Shit; I can't get anything done without more mobility.

Someone running. Behind. Swish of blade.  
Dodge left; pivot right, swing with my left hand.  
They go down, twitching from the voltage.

Another, drawing a gun.  
Turn left and take the hit; can't let any civvies get hit.

Reach for my belt, grab the Magnum.  
Flick the crosshairs across their chest, switch to hardlight and fire.

Once, twice, three times.

His body jerked with the bullets as they tore through him and into the bulkhead.  
Follow through, strike another with Humbler.

Organ Bitch still hanging back.  
Could use lethal but I'd have a harder time explaining that.

The music swelled as I charged at her; the crowd finally realized what was wrong as their minds registered the gunshots.  
Organ Bitch still had the smug smile on her face; probably thinking I had gone down. I pushed off a table and leapt towards her, Humbler at the ready.

By the time I had already jumped off, she was just finishing tracking my charge at her. Her smug look was now one of shock and fear; at least, until I slammed my Humbler straight into her face.  
Spartan Time ended as she flew into the wall, denting it and causing the airship to groan.

The other people who had come for breakfast fled the fight, as I summoned my armor and performed my usual disappearing act; taking Organ Bitch with me.  
The final note of the music rang out and held as I disappeared.

* * *

_**Remnant, Airship, Above Sanus**_

_**November 4, 2552**_

_**0728 Hours**_

_**Mistral Black Market Organ Harvester**_

When I awoke, my body was sore all over. It felt like a godsdammned train had hit me, and I groaned in pain.

"Ah! You're awake. Excellent." I looked around and saw a hulking suit of metal armor, clad in a steel and blue color set. "Y'know; not many decide attacking my friend is a good idea; much less harvest his organs." He paused, and I was puzzled. His accent seemed somewhat familiar, but it was definitely from a different place. "Ironic I just so happen to be a certified combat medical specialist; eh?" He chuckled; his...Mistrailian? Yes. Mistralian. His Mistralian accent lilted, and a scalpel was held up. "I've had to put torn, mangled, burned, and broken bodies back together; all to make them fight just a little longer. I would load them up on drugs just to give them a few more minutes to fight. Our enemy was so ruthless it was pointless trying to take prisoners. What few we could capture we had to field interrogate; and I've learned so much about the body since then!" I tried to move, but I was strapped into a chair. I couldn't even summon my Aura; and only Atlas had Aura-suppressing cuffs.

Was this…?

No. It couldn't be.

I squirmed a little more, trying to slip out of my restraints.

The armored man stalked closer; passing up the scalpel for a curved machete instead.  
I screamed and begged for mercy; but nobody came.

Maybe I deserved it.

* * *

_**Remnant, Airship, Above Sanus**_

_**November 4, 2552**_

_**1015 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The corpse of Organ Bitch lay still; blood dripping off her body and onto the floor.

I had, admittedly; gone overboard. I could barely even recall what I had done to her.

On the other hand; who the fuck tries to steal organs from someone who was showing all the signs of military?  
I could have swore I had seemed like a veteran with my habits, others had 'thanked me for my service'.

Huh. As if.

I really need to figure out how to forge a Huntsman license so people can get off my back about what I do.

Hm…

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**November 4, 2552**_

_**0943 Hours**_

_**Ozpin**_

I honestly have enough headaches and concerns other than strange duels on public transport; however…  
A person who has never been registered in the Atlas military, or any military, for that matter, before; yet fought and acted like an experienced veteran?

Most curious.

Perhaps they could try to apprehend the armored mystery; 'Six', as he called himself.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**November 13, 2552**_

_**1145 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Those airships take a long fucking time to travel. The flight from the village I was dropped off to here was 4 days without delay; and with the Grimm attack damaging the airship over the ocean, it took another 3 days. If I hadn't fought it off the airship would have probably gone down.

I stepped off the landing pad and took a look around.  
The crowd bustled forwards, and I followed.

Where would I want to settle down and sort myself out?

I pulled up a map of Patch and looked around, finding a nice, secluded field I could probably build a decent cabin and workshop at.  
Overlaying the Forerunner facility map; I found there was only one on the map, close to where I had selected.

Convenient. I could resupply and unpack at the same time.

Grabbing the duffle full of stuff I had stolen from other residents on the airship, I headed off.  
Having stolen the stuff because they were either helpful or so I could look like a person with a life, I hoped it would be enough for a cover if anyone decided to visit my home.

On the other hand, I had no appliances or Lien.  
But...I could try to hack into a bank and wire funds.

Worse case scenario, I'd just physically rob a bank.

All things considered; I should probably have one set of armor set for doing bad things; like possible operations within the Mistral Underworld.  
Well, I still would need something to act as a workstation for my Mjolnir.

Another thing on the shopping list…

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**November 13, 2552**_

_**1400 Hours**_

_**Ruby Rose**_

Yang, me, and Dad were walking home from Signal; and the sun was out, making me feel all warm.

"So, Ruby; how are you enjoying Signal?" Dad asked.

"It's pretty nice! We're gonna be able to see the Vytal Festival, right?" I asked, excited. The Vytal Festival was always so cool! You got to see all sorts of weapons and fighting styles; it was always awesome!

"Yeah, sure Ruby. By the way Yang; have you considered which academy you want to go to after Signal?" Dad asked.

"Yeah, but do I really need to start thinking now? It's not for at least another two years!" Yang complained.

That was when a grizzled man walked past across the street, with some sort of wrist-mounted scroll. His jacket hung open, and I saw the concealed sheath and knife. I zipped over, surprising the man.

"WhoaheymisterI'mRubywhatsortofScrolldoyouhave?Howdidyoumountittoyourwrist?AreyouaHuntsman?That'swhyyouhavetheknifeinyourjacket,right?"I looked further, seeing another sheath under his left arm. "Whoaanotherone?Doyoudualwieldthem?WhoamIkiddingofcourseyoudualwieldthem!Howdotheyhandle?CanIseethemboth?!" I exclaimed; the man seemed hesitant so I continued.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**November 13, 2552**_

_**1400 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Oh no.

Some hyperactive girl just appeared and started running around me, exposing both my knife and Emile's Kukri. It was probably only a matter of time before she found the Humbler and Kat's Magnum, and this was all in public.

Fortunately; two people came over, presumably to stop her and save me from this girl asking me questions a mile a minute.

Even with my Spartan Augmentations, I could barely keep up with her questions.  
I sighed and waited; as she continued zipping around me asking what the purpose of each item was.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**November 13, 2552**_

_**1400 Hours**_

_**Yang Xiao-Long**_

Out of nowhere Ruby just zipped off across the street to go harass some poor guy who looked like he was trying to do some shopping. Dad and I shared a look, and chased after her, arriving as the poor guy sighed.  
The guy was pretty cool looking; so pale though. I gave him a onceover before Dad harrumphed; silencing Ruby and snapping me out of my gaze.

"I would like to apologize for my daughter's behavior, sir." Dad said; holding Ruby as she kept trying to reach for something in the man's jacket.

"It's alright; we all deserve to be childish sometimes." The man answered; looking at Ruby. He seemed as if he was about to say something; but paused.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**November 13, 2552**_

_**1400 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"It's alright; we all deserve to be childish sometimes." I said, trying to brush off the father's apology. I was going to offer the girl the chance to see my Emile's Kukri; but when I looked at her face, she looked so much like a ghost from the past.

_I stepped into the Innie's hideout; my 'recruiter'; Quentin beside me._

"_Got a new member. This here is Marcus." The cell looked me over; as if appraising me._

"_What's he good at?" One of them asked. I remembered their name from the briefing. Lionel Hughes; leader of this cell. He had been leading them on a campaign of terror; striking all sorts of core UNSC locations._

_Quentin nudged me, signalling I should speak.  
__I spoke up. "I can expertly pilot just about any vehicle you need, and I'm a crack shot with the Magnum." I paused, deciding what else to reveal. "And I've been told I can be one hell of a demolitions expert."_

_Hughes seemed impressed as Quentin stood proudly. "That can work. But are you as good as you say?" He asked; shuffling through some files. "I got a trial for you. See if you have the skills to be with us." He slid one file over to me, it was Police Chief Greg Xian-Yu. "Convince the police chief to ease up on his crackdown on us."_

"_I'll get it done." I said, stepping out._

_That was when I met a bubbly teenager.  
_"_You're new; right? I'm Aria Ortez." She stuck out her hand before quickly retracting. "My bad. You're going on a mission and we can't have anyone else's DNA get on you. Y'know; in case you get caught."  
__I nodded. This girl was so innocent; it wasn't too hard to imagine how she was convinced to join._

_I stood over the remains of the hideout; Magnum in hand._

"_Why are you doing this?! We trusted you!" Aria spat out; her hands clutching her wounds._

_Lionel lay against the table, motionless. Quentin was propped up against the wall, and weakly tried to lift a Magnum at me, but was failing. Carlita was coughing out her last breaths; the buckshot from my discarded M45 having penetrated her lungs. Adrian and Lamar were splayed out on the floor, similar victims to my violence._

"_Sorry; but orders are orders. And a Spartan always accomplishes their orders." I said, raising my Magnum and firing.  
__Quentin slumped to his side, his brains splattered against the polycrete, with the material having crumbled under the impact of the Magnum round._

"_So just because you're one of them fancy-schmancy Spartans means you can't be human? You showed us you could be human." She pleaded helplessly; I waited knowing she would bleed out soon. "Why can't you just...try to be human? I know you can be..." She strained as her eyes turned lifeless._

_That was when Carlita raised a detonator, and gurgled out a few final words.  
_"_See you in hell, you bastard…"_

_I flicked the Magnum over, firing several times.  
__The hand fell, detonator clattering against the floor._

_I turned around and stepped out; calling ONI.  
_"_Operative Sierra B-312; mission complete."_

"_Good work, HeadHunter. Calling in Evac. Proceed to Rendezvous-Alpha One."_

The flashback ended; and I saw the trio; presumably father and daughters, staring at me; concerned. Ruby; if I caught her name correctly, was waving her hand in front of my face.

"I'm fine; just...remembering things." I said, sighing.  
The father seemed to understand, and said "C'mon girls. Let's go, the man needs space right now."

Ruby seemed to be pouting as she walked off with her father and presumed sister.  
Actually; those two seemed very familiar…

Interesting. Something to investigate later.  
I grabbed the shopping bag I had dropped and moved headed to where I had planned my cabin.

When I exited the urban area, I kept walking for a bit before summoning a Mongoose, hopping on and driving off.

Arriving; I hopped off the Mongoose and dematerialized it, setting down my purchases and the planned items needed as I got to work chopping trees with an axe I had requested be made from the nearby Forerunner facility.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**November 13, 2552**_

_**1800 Hours**_

_**Yang Xiao-Long**_

"So, what was up with that guy from earlier?" Ruby asked me.  
He had probably lost someone or something important to him; considering Dad had that same look whenever Mom was brought up, but I decided to keep it blunt for Ruby.

"He might have lost someone close to him. You need to be more considerate of other people, Ruby." I said, slightly scolding her for her brashness.

"I'm sorry! His weapons just seemed so cool though. I thought I saw a pistol grip in that pouch on his thigh and I was really curious about the knives in his jacket!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Wait...He had knives in his jacket? I don't think he was a Huntsman Ruby." I said, trying to rack my mind for what kind of guy he was.

"We should ask Qrow; he knows all the Huntsmen here on Patch!" Ruby said, eagerness in her voice.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**November 13, 2552**_

_**2000 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I had finally constructed the house. It was up to UNSC building code; and that was difficult with wood. The cabin had a very homely look to it; and I had installed several windows that would serve as perfect vantage points on the second and first floors. I had lined the interior with polycrete, figured it would stop most attacks barring heavy weaponry or those Semblances they had. I moved the final bag of additional materials inside and began decorating. I had already queued up more ammo for the UNSC weapons in my arsenal; and my fusion reactor would be made a priority when the time came. That is; if it was still a fusion reactor. I had seen the Forerunner forge scan the thing and project blueprints; it seemed to incorporate plasma and some other functions to increase efficiency.

I started to empty the bags and place the various items everywhere. With the appliances, tables, and counters; I had simply said that I would be back to pick them up later; so I marked their places out on the floors and walls.

The windows still needed actual panes; but the place was looking a lot more like home.

I would get them later; for now, I could rest.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**November 14, 2552**_

_**0930 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

My Mongoose weaved through the forest of trees, the road was about 1.8km from my new home; and I planned to just strap the panes to the back.

Thank fuck the Forerunner facility was hidden enough I was able to place my cabin above it; with the basement leading into it.  
Of course, I had the workshop placed off to the side; masking it as a garage.  
Overall; it could pass for a 21st century suburban home, although the lumber gave it a less manufactured look.

I finally reached the road, kept going until I had hit town, and that was when I had run into that Ruby kid again.  
This time; she was with a bunch of other kids; and they were walking through the streets following some adult; probably their teacher.  
Ruby was talking excitedly with a group of the kids; but I could tell they were barely caring about what she said, only enough to seem as if they had paid attention. She kept talking regardless; until she noticed me.

Shit.

I just parked the Mongoose and I hurriedly tried to walk into the store before I could have another flashback in public; one I might lose control of myself over.

I had just barely made it in when I heard her slam against the glass storefront.  
Honestly; a miracle she hadn't cracked the glass. I'd have to ask for somewhat similar glass panes I could use.

Probably would have to manufacture my own brand of it; though.

Corundum would work. So sharp it could practically scratch anything else; I oughta make a blade out of it. Given that the material ranked just below diamond on the Mohs hardness scale; any blade built with it should be built to last if reinforced with carbon nanotubes…  
Actually; that might have to be an idea for later. For now; windows.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**November 14, 2552**_

_**1015 Hours**_

_**Ruby Rose**_

Dang!

I had just missed that mystery Huntsman. I had so many questions!  
Like his weapons! His Scroll!  
And even his new bike!

It had four wheels, and was definitely made for all terrain. Yang could probably say more; but she was busy back at school doing actual work.

"Ruby, get back here! If we don't stay with the group; we'll be in trouble!"

"Ok! Coming!" I answered, stealing one last glance at the bike before taking a picture of it with my Scroll.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**November 14, 2552**_

_**1148 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I made sure to take my time, even finding several panes I liked and receiving several recommendations for materials. This place was great.  
I made sure to pay extra as thanks for the helpful service; stepping out with several boxes worth of window panes and frames.  
I set some down and got some Buckmesh rope to strap it all down.

With my very strong knots, I checked the rope to ensure it was secure until I heard the bubbly voice and the distinctive rush of...petals?

The red whirlwind encompassed me and Ruby appeared.

"So; what's all this for?" She asked, curious.

Sighing, I answered. "Moving into Patch. Getting my new house built." I sat down in the Mongoose and gripped the handles.

"Ooh, where do you live? I think we might be neighbors! I always see you coming from the same way we come from when headed to Signal!" Ruby exclaimed, and I saw her face again.  
Images started to flash through my mind, and my hands gripped the handles harder.

_Aria,  
__Quentin,  
__Adrian,  
__Lamar,  
__Carlita,  
__Lionel._

I had killed them all.  
I looked them in the eyes, and pulled the trigger; knowing they had families to go home to and that several even had a chance of turning back to the UNSC.

"Hey, are you ok?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah; just uh...follow the road then head West for about 2 kilometers; you'll see my place. It's not much but...I can make it work for now." I shrugged, taking off as Ruby tried to memorize the directions.

Actually; where was their place?

I had checked the somewhat helpful show again; and it turned out Ruby was considered a 'Main Character' which meant I should probably get buddy-buddy with her anyways.  
If not friends, at least be able to be on call from her.  
Qrow was pretty important later on; and I was already kicking myself for having antagonized Ozpin and Ironwood; who were both major players now and later on.  
However...Polendina was a name that continually came up later on; and he would be a safe haven from the rest of Atlas if they wanted my tech; I only needed to get there.

I queued up a Corundum bladed knife as a test; to see just how effective it would be.

I set up the windows and the workshop; and I had summoned my armor to clean and repair it.  
Granted, there was practically nothing to repair, just a few power misallocations; but that was it.  
Not a single scratch on the paint.

My hand hovered on Noble's items. Actually…

A few hours later; I had the Forerunner forge make the Noble Team Emblem, and I had managed to make replicas of their helmets; with Kat's I decided to make it so there wasn't a hole in the visor or the back.  
It brought up too many sour memories.

I had begun hanging up my armor in its stand alongside the rest of Noble when I heard a well-tuned motorcycle pull up.  
Ruby and her blonde half-sister stepped off; taking in the sight of the house.

I hid my plans for Noble's memorials, and I instead pulled up some schematics; placing my M392 DMR down on the table, alongside the SRS-99 scope. I summoned a Troophog, and started checking it over.  
Unfortunately, besides significant amounts of blood and plasma scarring the metal black, the several bodies of UNSC Army Troopers or Marines was of significant concern.

"Ah; shit." I grumbled. Of course Ardent hadn't removed the bodies or cleaned the vehicles, he had painstakingly made it so that all the vehicles were still repaired with only aesthetic battle damage remaining.

Of course, that was when Ruby and Yang decided to walk over to the garage, interested by the sounds and flashes coming from within.

Oh shit.

If they walk in on me with several bodies; it's going to be very hard to explain.

I unsummoned the Troophog; and the only indication it had been there was the…

Several pools of blood on the floor and the spent bullet casings from previous battles.

Goddammit.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**November 14, 2552**_

_**1500 Hours**_

_**Yang Xiao-Long**_

"I don't know Ruby; this seems kind of suspicious. He moves in just now, and the house is almost already fully built? Did he mention hiring someone to build it for him?" I asked.  
"Nope...He didn't say anything about this stuff…" Ruby said, kicking a metal crate with an emblem stenciled on it; an eagle atop a globe; spreading its wings. "What's U-N-S-C mean anyways?" She asked, inspecting the design.

"I don't know; probably some company he hired to help build this stuff." I said as a large blue flash burst out from the garage; and a muffled "Ah, shit."

"Let's go see if our neighbor needs some help; he sounded like he could use it." I said, as Ruby nodded.

We walked over, peering around the corner to see our new neighbor trying to organize his workshop.

"Whoa! So. Freaking. Cool!" Ruby practically squealed as she zipped around the room, examining every single item.

I took a cursory glance; and the helmets seemed intimidating; especially the one with the skull carved into it.

"Pretty neat set you got here." I said as Ruby continued to zip around inspecting the various tools and weapons strewn about the room.

"Thanks. By the way; I'm Markus. Markus Steel." He said, extending his hand before realizing it was covered in grime. "Heh, my bad. I tend to prefer to do almost all the maintenance on my own." He chuckled apologetically.

"Yang Xiao-Long. It's no problem; say, where's your ride?" I asked, curious about the bike Ruby had sent me an image of.  
"Ah, I take it Ruby told you about tha-" Markus cut off as Ruby picked up one of the helmets, fiddling with it. "Don't touch the helmets!" He yelled, stunning me and causing Ruby to drop the helmet.  
Before I even realized it had fallen, Markus had already picked it up.

"Now please; most of the stuff in here is sentimental. Don't mess around with it; especially because my work can be sensitive." He motioned around the room, before reaching for the Scroll on his wrist. "If you'd like to see my 'ride' I'll show you my favorite one; now if you could step back against the wall, please."

We complied as he pressed a button on his Scroll and motioned with his hand.

All of a sudden, a blue flash occured; and an oversized jeep appeared; full four wheeled suspension, sleek yet bulky frame, and a large turret mounted at the back.

"This; is the M12 LRV. We servicemen call it the 'Warthog' because it's got those 'tusks' at the front and it can handle like a butterfly if you know what you're doing." He said, sitting down in the driver's seat. He motioned towards the other seat and the back tray.

"Shotgun!" I yelled as I hopped into the front seat.  
Ruby didn't seem to mind, she hopped on the back and practically started drooling over the weapon system at the back.

"So, most new to these say it handles like a brick; but if you get the hang of them, you can turn on a dime and become a literal motorized cavalry charge." Markus continued, flipping on the radio to play a song. The screen on the dash read out a status message.

**Playing:  
**"**Blood Gulch Blues"  
****By:  
**"**Trocadero"**

The soft guitar lifted over the throaty hum of the Warthog's engine as we cruised through the forest.

"Gonna take us on a 'roundabout; you can still see the house from here." He said. "And Ruby, there's plenty more weapons I have; I just haven't brought 'em out yet. Figure I'm gonna see if I can enter the Vytal Festival Tournament. At least; the one for certified Huntsmen and Huntresses."  
"Wait; they have one for already certified Huntsmen and Huntresses?" I asked; surprised. How had I not heard of this?

"Well, more like I'm gonna crash the tournament and cause a ruckus. If you...heh...look in the news you'll see I've already made quite the splash a month or two back." He chuckled, summoning some sort of video player.

"Take a look. Just plug it into your Scroll and it should play."

I plugged it in, and the video began in a cockpit of some sort.

Markus was messing with the controls, then he shouted for someone else to take over the flying, and he went into the back. A girl was there, trying to hang on for dear life.  
Markus brought a rocket launcher out of nowhere, and jumped out the back of the airship, rocketing around in a jetpack of some sort. He fired at the Nevermore and then landed on it, running his knives up its spine.

As the Nevermore shrieked in pain, he rocketed back into the airship and fired the launcher again, killing the Nevermore.

"Damn, that's some good moves right there; where'd you learn that stuff?" I asked. "And was that Uncle Qrow? I heard his voice." Ruby was eager to know; too. She had seen the footage as well.

"Eh; come on back some other time and I can tell you girls more stories." Markus said, turning the Warthog around as we pulled back into the garage. "Now it's probably time for you two to head home." Ruby and I nodded, and I got back on Bumblebee, Ruby on the back.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**November 14, 2552**_

_**1700 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

They always did say I was good with kids. I still refuse to believe any Spartan could socialize with any kid, much less keep them safe though; I mean, you deprive children of any socialization for all their life while turning them into supersoldiers and you think any of them will be good at socializing?

I was only passing by because I had to learn to read emotions to go undercover and for interrogations.  
And that was only helped by the fact that I had gotten lucky out of the augmentations and training. It was a miracle that I even took after Jorge in the slightest.

Of course; my augments failed to augment my height significantly; and as such I was sent off on undercover missions.

How fortunate for ONI.

I decided to cycle through every vehicle I had, and made coffins for every dead UNSC trooper and marine I found. I figured I would make their memorial on the dragon shaped island, and summoned the Pelican.

I had only a few more vehicles to check; and I would cycle through those and see who had died.  
Their armor was hung in my workshop, their helmets also being added to the increasingly longer list of Reach's defenders.

When I had arrived at the dragon shaped island; which I had named 'Memory' in honor of the soldiers who had died at Reach, I found a nice indentation in the stone that made a small cave.

I placed the armor in the typical UNSC style, and fashioned stands out of their emptied weapons and inscribed a short epitaph on a nearby raised stalagmite.

"**Here stands the Defenders of Reach,  
****Valiant until their last.  
****They fought with everything they had, and they gave their lives so that others may live.  
****All KIA as of August 30, 2552."  
**I stepped back, and nodded in approval.

I queued up some ammo from the nearby facilities and left; knowing it would be ready when I returned.  
Those things take a while; after all.

I stepped back out and onto the Pelican, taking off for Patch.


	8. Enter: The Ice Queens

_**A/N: It's five in the morning for me right now, but here it is anyways. Why?**_

_**Because for some reason, my body likes being fucking nocturnal.**_

_**In other news, the element of Six knowing where and what he is in(the anime RWBY) has been tricky to sort of use.**_

_**I'd honestly like to know if you guys(and gals) would prefer it if said element was not in play; and so on and so forth.**_

_**Other than that; to the people asking for updates, I'd like to remind y'all that I'm obligating myself to update at least weekly.  
Unless I get stuck, I will continue said schedule.**_

_**For those wondering how OP I plan on making Six:  
1\. His character is part joke(How he is ranked Hyperlethal makes no sense)  
2\. He has quite the impressive resume(Foreshadowing? Not really)  
3\. He is already on the level of the Master Chief in Halo canon; so why wouldn't he be here?  
**_

_**Either way, he will still struggle in different ways.**_

_**So, without further ado; enjoy!**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**November 14, 2552**_

_**1830 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I landed, and queued up some statues. The corundum and ammo could wait; I had plenty of ammo and I hadn't fully secured the area. I got back to work on repairing the aesthetic damage to the vehicles; and cleaning my weapons.

* * *

_**Remnant, Vale, Sanus**_

_**December 26, 2552**_

_**1030 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

It had been a while. The target was on the move.  
I followed with my SRS-99; tracking them.

They entered a store, and they had begun browsing through the shelves.  
I enabled the VISR and took aim.

Fire.

The target's head exploded and the other occupants in the room began to panic.

I unsummoned my weapons and armor and hopped into an alleyway; disappearing.  
Ever since I had taken up bounty hunting; I was able to finance my 'legitimate' hobbies.

The fact I was also able to forge a Huntsman license helped too.  
My alias, Markus Steel, was doing 'Huntsman' things; rescuing people and killing Grimm.

I had encountered something interesting a few days back however…

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlesian Dust Convoy, Sanus**_

_**December 14, 2552**_

_**2248 Hours**_

_**Weiss Schnee**_

We were traveling to personally ensure this convoy wouldn't be hit; with Father stating that it would be good for me to learn from the experience. Winter agreed, and had pulled a few strings to be stationed aboard as well.

Father was most likely trying to just show me how terrible a job as a Huntress would be; although it would do little to discourage me.

Some additional Huntsmen were hired for additional help, as the convoys had been getting hit quite often lately.  
In fact, it was lucky one wasn't hit on its route nowadays.

One of the recently hired Huntsmen wore a faded grey leather jacket; fiddling with his wrist mounted Scroll. He must have rigged it so it would be easier to see and use.  
A novel idea, yet he seemed strange.

His face was young yet grizzled, with the beginnings of a short stubble following his jawline. His hair sported a military cut, one that looked as if it hadn't really been maintained recently.

Who was this man? He held himself much like an Atlas soldier would, but no Atlas soldier would leave that young; much less a Specialist if he was a Huntsman.

The day passed uneventfully, with the strange Huntsman offering to be part of the night watch.  
We arrived at our first stop, an Atlas military base, to drop off some Dust and pick up some military hardware.

Several of the new prototype mechs, 'Paladins' Ironwood called them. We had several platoons of AK-130s aboard as well, and several shipments of the prototype AK-200s.  
Rumors were that a spider droid was also aboard; although much of the cargo was kept secret.

The strange Huntsman mentioned a man named Qrow; whoever that was. Winter seemed to know both, and thanked the man for passing along the message.  
This Huntsman certainly has friends in high places; mentioning an apology for 'giving Ironwood that scare'.  
There hadn't been any incidents in Atlas that I had heard of, so what could he be referring to?

Whatever, something to worry about later.

The days continued to pass by uneventfully; as we passed through Forever Fall forest, we came to a stop as there was a mountain slide that had blocked the path.  
The strange Huntsman offered to perform security for the working crew, disappearing into the nearby mountainside shortly after.  
Winter had retired for the day, and I was on watch.

A few hours went by, and work stopped as night set in.

The strange Huntsman did not return.  
Odd.

I slept fitfully that night, thinking of what could possibly be occurring back at home, and how I would fix the company's reputation after Father stepped down.  
The world faded away as my thoughts fell silent.

I soon awoke to the sounds of fighting, with alarms blaring throughout the train.  
Winter was nowhere to be seen, and the gunfire was only from the outside.  
However, I heard the swish of blades within the train. The only other sounds from within the clatter of metal.

I slid out of bed, threw on my combat skirt and grabbed Myrtenaster.

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlesian Dust Convoy, Sanus**_

_**December 16, 2552**_

_**0408 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I was on overwatch, my SRS-99 watching over the construction site. My MK VI armor was helping me blend in as I kept an eye on the train.  
Then, my motion tracker picked something up.

Several blips, moving fast. Inbound on the train.

I zoomed in with the detached scope to get a better look.  
White Fang. I counted at least 15.  
This was bad; the train was unable to move, most of the crew were asleep, and too many for me to take out at once.

I took aim at a group of them, and fired.

Three bullets.

The SRS-99's noise would wake up the crew. Immediately, 3 of them ducked for cover, with one man toting a chainsaw dashed for the train.  
I shifted my aim, and took out his legs.

Two bullets.

3 down, 1 incapacitated. 9 still in sight, clustering up as the now awakened crew came out to defend the train.  
Those first 3 slipped in; and I couldn't risk casualties by shooting into the train only to have the bullets fail to penetrate their Aura.

I aimed at one White Fang member that was rallying them; and fired.

One bullet.  
I was using the UNSC rounds; as they packed enough stopping power to actually penetrate most Auras and still damage flesh.

I aimed and fired again; reloading the SRS-99 and swapping it for a M45. Getting up from my sniping position, I ran at a dead sprint down the hill as the White Fang decided to get brave again, hopping out of cover to engage the crew.

I engaged my jetpack, and tossed a plasma grenade at the cluster of White Fang.  
It stuck to one of them, and they started screaming about how it burned and hurt; trying to claw it off only to get their hands burned.

Then the grenade went off.  
The White Fang members were doused in plasma, those few still with Aura withstanding the assault, and the rest either dead or dying.

I landed, and charged into the train.

The automated security had tried to respond to the intruders; but they were devastated as the group had blitzed through the train.  
They must be heading for the Paladins, trying to hijack them to turn on the crew and capture the train faster.

I charged through the train cars, following the destruction only to find Winter's younger sister, Weiss Schnee, trying to hold off the three White Fang. I recognized them from the show; they would play important roles later on.  
I saw Adam Taurus, Sienna Khan, and Ilia Amitola; all doing the usual acrobatics as they probably always do when robbing from the Schnee Dust Company.

Engaging them; I called Winter over the comms for backup. "Winter, got three White Fang in here. Sixth car in; requesting backup." M45 blasting, I dumped a shell into Sienna's back; tripping her.  
Weiss capitalized by blinding Adam. Ilia tried to disappear with her camouflage; but I racked the pump and fired again.  
The shell slammed Ilia in the chest, causing her Aura to flare.

Adam recovered and tried to block, but a cloud of buckshot is hard to block with a sword. Adam was hit too, sent flying as Sienna was kicked back down by my armored boot; as I swapped the M45 with the M7 smg.

Ilia ran for Weiss, who had stood dumbfounded in shock this whole time; and put her sword-whip in front of her neck.  
"Stop or I'll kill the Schnee!" She yelled, desperately.

I simply chuckled as I turned on active camouflage. I would be screwed if the Faunus could detect it, but they still had a hard time seeing it until it was a little too late.  
Ilia watched as I vanished, her eyes wild with fear.  
Adam stumbled to his feet as Sienna slowly rose to her knees, both battered from my assault.

"Kill the Schnee already, Ilia. We can finally strike at something Jacques cares about!" Adam urged Ilia as more AK-200s and AK-130s activated and entered the room.  
"No! Ilia; that is our only bargaining chip at this point and if we kill her, we lose any chance of getting out of this alive!" Sienna cried out, the robots all aiming weapons at them.  
"We can take them!" Adam argued; as I decided to make my statement.

"What if I told you I have weapons that can ignore Aura? What if I told you just what happens when it hits you, hm?" I mused, casting my voice as I circled the three, slowly advancing on Ilia.  
Weiss was trying to struggle free, but Ilia managed to keep a good grip on her.

I charged at Ilia as I disabled active camouflage, wrenching her arm away from Weiss; then I grabbed her head and slammed it into the floor, shattering her mask as she was knocked out.  
Weiss, realizing she was free, ran for her weapon as the robots opened fire.

Adam tried to rush me while Sienna ran after Weiss. Sienna was fighting through the robots, tearing them apart.

Adam drew his sword and kept trying to slash at me, I used the jetpack to maneuver around him, and I slammed his sword hand against the wall several times.  
He started using his sheath as a rifle-shotgun, and I grabbed his sword. It seemed to piss him off so I wasn't going to just toss it aside now.

He charged at me, probably to catch me off guard.  
Duck, slash, kick. I need to incapacitate, not kill.  
Adam's stumbling. I draw the Magnum and fire, I had developed a few test rounds and I needed to see how it did against Aura.  
He tried to dodge, but his hand was stuck to the wall by the Lockdown paint I had fired. He struggled, trying to break free.

I rushed forwards and punched him. Looking over, Weiss was now holding off Sienna. All the robots were destroyed or disabled.  
I fired another training round.

Weiss was thrown on the backfoot, and her weapon tossed aside. Sienna tried to advance on her, but the Lockdown paint stopped her from moving her foot.

I fired again, nailing down her other foot. Sienna howled in rage as she looked at me, the interloper. She fired her bladed whip at me, two detachable throwing knives thrown my way.

I checked my shields, they would hold.  
The knives impacted and the Dust within detonated, engulfing me in flame and rock.

Shit.

Holding up a plasma grenade, I gestured to Weiss. "You might wanna get back; really far back."  
She started scrambling for the next car, Sienna's eyes go wide.

"You think a little Dust will stop me? Watch this." I start laughing as the plasma grenade primed and started melting through the rock.

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlesian Dust Convoy, Sanus**_

_**December 16, 2552**_

_**0420 Hours**_

_**Weiss Schnee**_

"You might wanna get back; really far back." The armored man said as he pulled out a purple-blue orb, and pressed a button on it; causing it to ignite in flames.  
I scrambled for Myrtenaster and ran for the other end of the room.

"You think a little Dust will stop me? Watch this." He laughed as he held the orb against the rock that the Earth Dust had made, and it began melting the rock before it exploded in a bloom of light blue gas, and I could feel the heat from here.

When the gas cleared, the train car was either scorched black or melting, with other parts simply glowing red hot.  
The last attacker had been bathed in the gas and she cried out in agony as her Aura absorbed it, and her Aura broke.  
The armored man simply walked over and punched the attacker, knocking her out. Then he pressed something on his helmet, and walked away.

"Winter, it's dealt with. You've got three new prisoners; all major White Fang players. Only people with a strong Aura should go to the train car. It's melting. Yes; I did what I could. No; your sister is fine…" He said as he disappeared into thin air once again.  
Soon after, Winter rushed in and used Ice Dust to freeze the train car, cooling down the metal as a cloud of steam erupted from them.

"Weiss! Are you ok? Six assured me you were fine; but I had to see for myself." She said, running over. "What happened?" She asked, looking around.

"If that armored man was this 'Six' you're talking about, then; he happened." I said, happy that Winter was around again. "Is that a new Atlas prototype, by the way?" I asked, curious.

"Well…" Winter hesitated, then sighed. "Maybe. Whatever it is, he scared Ironwood on his first meeting with him; I only heard about it. Ironwood seems nervous around him still; and apparently he hasn't gotten around to apologizing to Ozpin for whatever he did."  
That was strange. He knew the headmaster of Beacon? And his weapons, he could change them at will, with only a blue flash to show it had changed.

"Who is he?" I asked.

"Some hermit hiding out in the wilderness that shows up every now and again." I heard a man say; walking over. It was the strange Huntsman that had disappeared.

"Where were you when the White Fang attacked?!" I spat at him. He was nowhere to be seen, and he must have led them to us. "Did you sell out the route to the White fang?!"

Winter gave me a glare, and extended her hand to the strange Huntsman. "Thanks for the help, that sniper cover was really helpful. What sort of Dust are you using in those weapons?" She asked.

"I'm not using Dust. I believe Ironwood himself was similarly incredulous; even more when he learned I'm not even using any Aura." He responded.

"Wait what? You're not using Dust or Aura?" Winter seemed shocked.

"Yup. By the way, your younger sister should be glad I showed up when I did, she was just short of being executed." He said, then turned to me. "And you got sloppy. Why were you staring when you should have been fighting? To be fair, it was your first time seeing a Spartan; but most usually snap out of it in a moment or two, not keep watching for a good minute." He gave me a glare, and turned back to Winter. "And tell Ironwood I'm not going to join the Atlas Specialists."

What?! This man was good enough to qualify as an Atlesian Specialist? And what was a Spartan? So many questions.

"Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Six; as your sister here has mentioned. I'm attached to the Atlas military as a 'private consultant'. That's what it said in the contract, anyways." He chuckled as he extended out his hand.  
I shook it, and responded in kind. "Weiss Schnee."

"Nice to meet you, Weiss. Winter talks about you quite a bit. But not as much as she talks about Ironwo-Augh! Do you really have to hit that hard?" Six was cut off, Winter having punched him in the shoulder.

"You should learn to shut your mouth." She replied; as Six rubber his shoulder.

"Tell that to the woman that tried to harvest my organs on the flight over to Patch. I just wanted a vacation; not a firefight ten thousand feet in the air!" Six shot back.

"Well, you always do have a penchant for trouble. Are you sure you don't have a misfortune semblance like Qrow?" Winter asked.

"I think I would notice if I had Aura, Winter." Six snapped at her.

"Right." She said.

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlesian Dust Convoy, Sanus**_

_**December 16, 2552**_

_**0435 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I walked off, heading to my room to actually sleep.

I had been staying up for several days now, and I was getting sloppy.  
I would need rest to refresh myself.

Regardless, today was an interesting day.

Say; Weiss Schnee. She's from the show; and all signs point to her having an important role...

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlesian Dust Convoy, Sanus**_

_**December 16, 2552**_

_**1146 Hours**_

_**Weiss Schnee**_

I woke up late; and Six was still in his room, probably sleeping. Winter was awake and eating breakfast with me.

"So, where did Six get that armor from?" I asked.

"There's a lot I can't tell you. Even knowing what his actual face looks like is rare. We have him training Atlas Specialists on the side, and even then he always wears the armor to cover his face." Winter replied. "I've heard rumors he's got a cabin somewhere in Patch, but there's no proof. Sometimes, if he wants, he can disappear from all surveillance feeds and he supposedly has several...tools; he can use to render the entire Atlas military ineffective." Winter shuddered, before returning to her food.

"So why haven't we apprehended him yet and are just working with him?" I asked. The Atlas military must be dolts to work with someone that could cripple them; let alone just let them be disconnected from the overall command structure!

"He's strong enough to have scared Ironwood, apparently attacked Ozpin and won, and you want us to try to apprehend him?" Winter laughed, finishing her meal. "Every Atlas Specialist asks that when they learn he's not fully attached to the organization. The honest truth is;" And she leaned in to whisper; "He's only here because he wants to be."

After that, the rest of the ride went by uneventfully, with the train left unharassed the rest of the way; even as we transferred through one of the tunnels into Solitas. Six was still mysterious and deadly, but he had offered to give me lessons on combat.

I had, of course, accepted.  
Who wouldn't after hearing his resume?

"Don't rely on form too much; it's better to flow with the fight. Think of it as a song, and the combat will be easier to nail down." Six said as I sparred with him.

"But my semblance is weak, and I can't use it in any major way!" I said, parrying a strike from his baton.

"Don't rely on semblance or Aura. Remember what I said that night? I don't have it, so why do you need it?" He responded; sweeping out my foot from under me.

I fell to the floor as he pointed the baton at me, indicating I had lost.

"Don't be afraid to fight without form. You can always improvise. For example, let's say your opponent has a prosthetic. Prioritize that prosthetic; it is most likely stronger than their normal limbs. If you take it out, they'll lose a limb and they'll have a weakened Aura." Six said as he lifted me to my feet. "Now, do you have a backup weapon?" He asked.

"Why would I need a backup? Myrtenaster is all I need." I answered confused.

Six sighed, muttering "Same damn thing with all the recruits. Absolute idiots; the lot of them."

"I am not an idiot!" I retorted.

"Then what will you do if I remove your weapon from the field? You are unarmed, with your Aura presumably significantly low. You would stand no chance." He said, bringing out a clear bladed knife; it seemed to almost be made of glass. It's sheath appeared to be leather, but with a hardness I had never felt in leather before. "This knife's blade is made of something called corundum. Scratches just about everything but diamond. Had to fuse diamond to a mesh that I covered with leather. Needless to say, it's expensive and extremely sharp." He handed the blade in its sheath to me.

"You want me to have it?" I asked, surprised. "But it's so valuable and you trust me with it?"

"Several reasons; one of which being that you actually need one. Another reason is that I need you to test it and I have a feeling you'll get quite a bit of use out of it." Six said, rolling his shoulders. It was then his Scroll lit up, and he read the message on it. "Looks like another thing to get done while I'm here…" He sighed. "Lesson's over. You could use the rest."

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlesian Dust Convoy, Solitas**_

_**December 19, 2552**_

_**1030 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The train finally pulled into the station; and it had reached its final destination. I stretched and gathered my travel bag, walking off the train and onto the station platform. Winter was there, waiting for me.

"We've got an airship to catch. Ironwood wants to see us." She said, gesturing towards the landing pad.

"If he needs us there immediately; I have a faster 'airship' on call, y'know." I said, following her.

"He does, but I doubt you want to be shot down by the Atlas airfleet." Winter said; waving goodbye to Weiss.

"Are you doubting my abilities? My whole specialty is engineering and vehicle handling and you doubt I can fly an airship through the whole fleet?" I joked as we stepped onto the pad.

"Come on, Qrow and Ozpin are going to be there. So you may want to lose the armor."

"Alright, alright. But seriously, give me the transponder codes and I can get us there in a fourth of the time."

Winter sighed. "Fine. Get your airship here while I tell our assigned escort to take off without us."

The Atlas airship on the pad took off, it was Winter's custom airship.

"When did Ironwood allocate a custom airship to you anyways?" I asked as I summoned the Pelican onto the landing pad.

"To be fair I-" Winter stopped mid-sentence as she watched the Pelican appear with a blue flash.

"What?" I jokingly asked.

"That looks terrible! It doesn't even look like it flies well at all!" Winter exclaimed.

"Well, this is a D77-TC Pelican, designed for troop transport. I could use a more agile craft, but I think Ozpin and Qrow will appreciate the familiarity. You've got co-pilot. I need you to tell the Atlas air fleet that we are, in fact, friendly." I said, gesturing towards the Pelican as I walked into the cockpit and slid into my seat. "Unless of course, you actually want to see if I am as good as I say."

"Of course not, I'd rather not be shot out of the sky." Winter scoffed, grabbing the pilot's helmet I handed her.

"Without a standard neural implant, the helmet's much more limited, but you will find that there should be enough buttons on it to operate the standard functions." I said as she slid into the co-pilot's seat.

"Alright. I'll call Ironwood and tell him we're enroute." She said, pulling out her Scroll as I eased the Pelican off the landing pad.

A few minutes went by, and we got a transmission.

"Unidentified aircraft, this is the Atlesian air fleet; divert from your course to the provided coordinates or we will open fire! I repeat, divert to the provided coordinates or we will open fire!"

"Winter, did you not give Ironwood the heads up?" I asked, about to start turning the engines up to combat speed.

"I did, but it would appear he either wishes to see exactly how good your piloting is or the air fleet has missed the memo."

"Alright, hang on. I have a feeling we're going to be dodging missiles and flak." I said, gunning the throttle. "Say, where's the meeting place?" I asked.

"Ironwood's flagship; you can't seriously be considering this, are you?!" Winter exclaimed.

"Of course I am! Now hang on tight because I'm not going to try shooting down Atlesian airships." I said, changing course for the flagship.

The fleet opened fire on us, and I sent the Pelican into a steep dive; and flew in and out of the airships, just below their decks to minimize the amount of firepower that could come into play.

That's when the motion tracker lit up like a Christmas tree.

They must be scrambling fighters.

"Winter, press the button marked 'ECM'!" I shouted.

"What's it do?" She asked as she pressed it.

"Electronic counter measures; they won't be able to get a lock on us, now tell Ironwood to call off the fleet; I can't dodge forever and the landing will be significantly more rough if we're being shot at!" I shouted, weaving the Pelican around an airship and dodging several cannons.

The HUD blared, and I saw the alert:

**Missile Lock:  
Take Evasive Action**

I engaged flares, and threw the Pelican into a steep climb. The missiles were starting to refocus back on the Pelican, so I threw out some chaff as well. The missiles exploded against the debris and I angled the Pelican at the flagship.

The flagship angled its cannons at us, and opened fire with its full complement alongside the rest of the fleet.

I redlined the engines and threw the Pelican into a barrel roll, dodging most of the shots and banking away from the rest. I straightened the Pelican out as we continued to dive at the flagship's deck.  
"I'll hover for a moment to drop you off, now get to the back!" I shouted, leveling out the Pelican and lowering the ramp.

"Got it!" Winter yelled as she removed the helmet and moved to the ramp.

I swung the Pelican around, letting Winter jump out before I sent the Pelican flying back up; buzzing past the flagship's bridge. I let the Pelican keep flying as I sprinted out the back and jumped. The airships continued to try to shoot it down, but it was going too fast. I unsummoned the Pelican and engaged the jetpack, slowing my descent as Winter stood, waiting for me to land.

"Are you done showing off yet?" She harrumphed, and glared at me.

"I don't get enough adrenaline these days." I answered, walking to the bridge. "Now come on, we wouldn't want to be late; would we?"

"Well, was that enough 'adrenaline' for you?" Winter shot back as she followed me.

"Eh, I felt something. Being deployed to hold important sites against a never ending wave of enemies all on your own tends to do that to you." I said as we stepped onto the elevator.

"That's more than any normal Specialist can say." Winter responded, slightly impressed.

"Well, that and the fact that I had actually drawn the short straw on my augments." I said, reminiscing. "Everyone else was about the same height. Normal height was about a few inches above me, and the taller ones were about a head above me..."

Winter seemed incredulous yet again. "That tall? You're already taller than most of the Atlas troops!"

"Well, I wasn't that small; but the armor only makes us taller." I said as the elevator finally arrived at the bridge.  
We stepped off the elevator and walked into the bridge, and Ironwood stood there.  
Winter saluted and I stood at attention as Ironwood sighed.

"Did you really have to make such an entrance?" He said.

"Well sir; we did contact you telling you we would arrive in an unidentified airship." I said.

"You did mention that. However; I believe the estimated arrival was not for another hour; so you'll forgive me for my caution." Ironwood answered.  
Winter stiffened at that; and I gave her a sidelong glare.

"Well, apologies for the second scare General, but I only wanted to get us to an 'important' meeting as soon as possible." I said.

"Well, that can be believed. Still; if you could stop giving me headaches, that would be very appreciable." Ironwood said; pacing back towards his command console. "At ease, soldiers."

Both Winter and I loosened up, with Winter visibly relaxing.

"I was told that we would be in a conference with Qrow and Ozpin?" I asked.

"Yes; they were urged into a secure location while the threat was dealt with. As was I, but I had to stay to coordinate fire on your airship."

"On a different note, I do have several designs for Atlas to use; I think you might like them." I said, gesturing towards the terminal. "If I may?"

Ironwood nodded, and I connected the terminal with my TacPad. Now; there weren't any on Reach, but I still had the schematics from my access as a Spartan and reputation as an engineer.  
I displayed the SOEIV drop pods, the HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL exoskeletons, specifically the Cyclops and the Mantis, and I decided to add in the Scorpion M808B MBT; knowing what Ironwood would have to fight in the future.

"And, to avoid complications; I have some information that you will find quite interesting." I said. "We should discuss the rest in private." I continued, looking around the bridge.

"Of course. This way." Ironwood said, as I followed him alongside Winter.

"And sir, those designs; it would do quite well for their prototypes not to be captured. They have a habit of turning the tide of battle quite significantly; even in the face of a superior enemy." I said, knowing that the exoskeletons and the Scorpion would raise hell if they were captured by the White Fang. Granted, a piece of tech was practically useless if you didn't know how to operate them; but how else was Roman able to operate a Paladin? The Scorpion would be relatively safe as the operator required a neural implant, but yet again; no clue how secure the tech would be if captured.

We entered a small conference room, and both Ozpin and Qrow were present. Ozpin seemed to have a look of recognition and he gripped his cane tighter. Qrow swigged his flask again.  
"Well, guess I'd better get the tough parts out of the way." I said, sighing. I used the projector on my TacPad to project a hologram. "This is something I have access to. It shows what should be events about two to three years from now. It depicts the 40th Vytal Festival and the following events." I said, the hologram emitting from my helmet to show some of the show's footage.

I heard Ironwood gasp as he saw Penny get destroyed; she must already be in development. All the more reason to see Pietro and get him this AI chip I found in a broken Mjolnir helmet I had found in one of the vehicles. I couldn't really connect the AI to my Mjolnir; and if I was correct, the AI was failing from either severe damage or rampancy.

Aura might change that, and Atlas could use the tech boost.

Now; I just had to figure out how to keep Ironwood from screwing over my plans when Salem arrived.  
"Beacon falls, and Atlas follows shortly after." I said, switching to the episode where Salem arrives at Atlas.

"Well, this is certainly a concerning revelation." Ozpin said. Qrow was trying to empty his seemingly endless flask, probably at the knowledge that two of the largest symbols of Humanity would fall.

"In my journey to confirm that this was the same world, I had to hack into your databases. That backdoor should help in the future; specifically when Arthur Watts makes his return." Ironwood specifically seemed to do a double take.

"He's dead." He said, looking concerned.

"Apparently, he's not and he's pissed at the fact that you chose Polendina's project over his." I said, as I showed off the fight between the two in Amity Arena. "And forget even worrying to that point, worry about how to keep Beacon from causing so many casualties or from crippling the rest of the world. Right now, focus on securing the Atlas network." I said, to which Ozpin nodded.

"If we hope to have a chance, we must first secure our defenses on the information front." He said.

"To keep the illusion they still have information, we simulate a second, falsified network they are directed to. I can try and help on the technology front of this, but I'm no programmer. This chip here could help." I said, raising the AI chip. "It's an AI; the only one I've got. It's failing, and I can't communicate with it. I don't have the proper hardware." I continued. "If the UNSC ever get here, I'll likely be court-martialed and severely punished for sharing classified information; but right now this is the only Humanity here and I've got a duty to protect it; no matter what it takes."

If only I could get the Forerunner AI to notice that I existed.

And so the time passed, with Ozpin and Ironwood asking questions while Qrow and Winter remained silent, watching. I knew Qrow had a job to do after Beacon; and Winter would have a role in future events, although she wouldn't play a major role.  
I answered all questions as best as I could, and I displayed the schematics I would give them.

"Mind you none of these are designed with Dust in mind; although that may help you break your dependence on the SDC. After all, that's how Atlas falls." I saw Ozpin thinking on that information while Ironwood seemed angered.

"Jacques Schnee causes Atlas to fall? How?" He said, slamming his fist down on the table.

"He gives Watts his credentials and Watts causes chaos in Mantle. Now listen, we can't root him out now; even if you can find any evidence of his crimes." I said.

"We should arrest him! Root him out and the network stays secure; we just restrict and remove his access! How would that not help with our problems?" Ironwood said.

"I agree with Six here James; we know how Jacques will act and we can act in preparation for it; if we act preemptively, we'll seem paranoid and delusional, and our enemy will act differently. Speaking of, does the 'footage' change in response to events occurring now?" Ozpin asked.

"Haven't been able to test that, but there has been no sign of me existing in the videos, so most likely not." I answered. "And anyways; this only starts just before the school year at that time. Turns out; your nieces have quite an important role to play." I say, turning to Qrow as he spit out his drink.

"What?!" He sputtered.

"Yup, who would have guessed. And Winter; your sister plays a similarly important role; and several others we need to keep alive and guide to their roles. Salem cannot know about the role they play or we might not have a definitive timeline for her actions." I said.  
Ozpin seemed interested, with Ironwood plotting his schemes.

It was then my TacPad beeped. Forerunner radio channel. I switched to it, keeping the audio to my helmet.  
"Reclaimer? I know you are there. Meet me at the facility you appear to have moved into. I am unable to locate you; my facilities require quite the maintenance. However; we have much to discuss." The channel went dead.

"Well lady and gentlemen, I'm afraid I have an…urgent; matter to attend back home so if we could wrap this up that would be great." I said, checking the time. "And Ironwood, I'll need to talk to Dr. Polendina."

Ironwood nodded, and Ozpin spoke up. "You should have access to my computer; so simply leave the timeline, the videos, and a list of all the priority changes we should make."

I nodded; that would help quite a bit. "And Ozpin, you might want to deal with a mole in your Inner Circle. He'll be a part of the priority list you'll get." I said, walking off.

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlesian Air Fleet, Solitas**_

_**December 19, 2552**_

_**1345 Hours**_

_**James Ironwood**_

What did Six mean by that? The traitor was a 'He'; so it couldn't be Winter. Not Ozpin; why would he betray his own cause he had recruited us toward.  
I drew Due Process and aimed it at Qrow.

"So that's the 'important role' you have; Qrow." I scowled, as Winter seemed surprised and Ozpin oddly calm.

"James, please calm down. We will simply wait until Six provides us with the traitor's identity. If you would kindly wait, we can avoid turning on one another." Ozpin said.

Qrow stood up and pulled out Harbinger; settling into a combat stance. "Jimmy, we can talk about this."  
Winter stayed silent; waiting for something.  
Ozpin stood as well, moving to intervene. "James, please calm down. Think about it; if Six knows who the traitor is, why would he reveal this information with them present?"

Ozpin...was right. Yet again.  
I lowered Due Process and Qrow relaxed. "I'm...sorry. I jumped to conclusions."

* * *

_**A/N: This is the part where I sort of commentate, honestly discussing how easily or hard this came to me.**_

_**On this part, specifically the end; I felt stuck in a ditch for a little while.**_

_**Obviously, I got out of it; considering this is page 55 of 108(as of now, actively working on it as I'm refining this for you guys to read).**_

_**Soon, enter a new enemy; and enjoy as I attempt to figure out how to avoid turning this into a slice of life story.  
**__**Seriously, the story is supposed to pick up once RWBY canon actually begins(e.g. Vol 1, Cp 1 time). Technically this is all prologue, and this might just qualify for one of the longest prologues(page 108 is still two years before RWBY canon).**_

_**I feel like I should timeskip some of this, and actually tried it; only to miss a key event and then pretend it was going to happen several months later.**_

_**I should really organize my notes and stuff.**  
**Or...I could keep writing this going only by 'the flow of the story' and doing whatever feels natural while staying lore-friendly.**_

_**Yup, (mostly) lore-friendly here.**_

_**Only going to ignore the lore that is so obscure even the wiki ignores it or are so well hidden I didn't even know I needed to check for.**_


	9. Creation, Joyride, and Remembrance

_**A/N: So; for those thinking I'm not doing my research, I'm at the point where I have so many tabs open that my browser is starting to stop showing them and I can't select them without using keyboard shortcuts.**_

_**Again, another late night/early morning post; I really need to fix my non-existent sleep schedule(Or am I just nocturnal?)  
**_

_**I find there are a few words I tend to overuse, if anyone notices this I'm really sorry. I honestly get in that semi-limbo mode where I'm barely concious of what I'm writing.**_

_**No joke, I can reread this stuff and laugh at the shit I wrote. Not narcissism, I think some of my writing sucks; to be honest.**_

_**Please, if I ever get edgy or something and I don't catch it when transferring it over; tell me. It'll get fixed as well as I can.**_

_**Funny thing. The chapter titles are the hardest; I try and somewhat summarize or hint at what will occur in the chapter, and this one was just an amalgamation of events that don't belong together.**_

_**This chapter is in part being uploaded in honor of me reaching page 117 of the unofficial document.**_

_**References and nods to other games will exist, but they may seem ignorant due to me not being as knowledgeable on them(Seriously, the 20+ tabs I have open on RWBY and Halo lore is concerning).**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas, Above Solitas**_

_**December 23, 2552**_

_**1426 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I walked into the lab, with Kat's Nephilim virus; I had access to anywhere.  
I could have called ahead; but until Arthur Watts was dealt with or the mock network was up, I couldn't risk it.

A security guard walked up to confront me; as I engaged active camo. She seemed so confused; looking around to see if I had just moved really quickly.  
Shame I couldn't let her report in.

I karate-chopped her in the neck, landing right on her pressure point. She collapsed and I dragged her over to the wall, propping her up.  
I kept walking, sneaking through the facility as I knocked out guards and snuck past electronic security.  
The person operating the radio was starting to notice; and was telling units to check in on the others.

Better hurry.

I kept going, finally making my way to a large workshop. Entering the door, I saw several guards raise their weapons at me and Dr. Polendina being escorted into another room.  
Shit; can't let them move him off site.

Dashing forwards, slamming into one guard and throwing them at another.  
Non-lethal. Not supposed to kill them; just knock them out. Hospitalization was a bad idea, I wanted them to still be able to get back in the fight.

I drew the M7S smg I had carried along; loaded with Lockdown paint rounds. I fired in bursts, aiming for limbs.  
Of the 5 guards who were stationed here, 4 had gone down.

The last one was trying to get Dr. Polendina to a secure room, but I had locked the door.  
The final guard turned to face me, and charged me.

She had a fucking battle-axe.

I rolled past her, and dumped several rounds into her torso and legs.  
She fell onto her stomach, trying to move but her legs had been stuck by the Lockdown paint.  
I walked over and knocked her out; then turned to Dr. Polendina.

"Doctor; sorry about the entrance, but Atlas security isn't quite secure. It's easier to break in than to hide my entrance on the system logs." I said, nodding at the disabled security camera.

"I see; but did you have to be so rough? You started a firefight in the same room as my work!" Polendina exclaimed.

"Well, I know you're working on Artificial Intelligence, and I've got something you might like to see." I said, pulling out the AI chip. "This here is an AI from where I'm from. They usually have a life span of seven years before they become unreliable and must be disposed of; this one is failing but I think Aura or a body might do the trick."

Polendina nodded, clearly in thought.

"Even if you can't save the AI; the code format is always interesting. You can take a few pointers from them, after all. It is based on a human mind." I said, walking over to the workstation and placing down the chip. "A former colleague of mine was a coding whiz; and I've got a few samples of her work. She does prefer to break in rather than protect, however." I said, uploading a few tidbits of Kat's code into the workstation in a small sandboxed network. "Now; I must get going. I'll be back, hopefully without having to commit minor destruction of military property."

Polendina nodded, and I engaged active camouflage, slipping out of the lab.

* * *

_**Remnant, Cafe, Sanus**_

_**December 25, 2552**_

_**1215 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"And this is my target?" I asked, gesturing towards the file.  
My employer leaned forward, their face stern. "Yes. Now is this enough?"

I looked at the case they gestured towards. "Yup. And you want to send a message; or just tie up a loose end?" I asked.

"Send a message. Show them that no matter where they try to hide, they'll always be found and caught. Make it clean, please. I don't want the police on my back again." He sighed.

"Got it." I said, grabbing the case and standing up.

* * *

_**Remnant, Vale, Sanus**_

_**December 27, 2552**_

_**0245 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Target moving through the buildings.  
They didn't have much of an Aura, supposedly.

Steady, Aim.  
Fire.

The SRS-99 barked loudly, and the target's head exploded as the high caliber round punched through several walls and tore itself apart.  
Disappearing into the night, I ran off.

Another target, another payout. Easy, but I should probably get an actual job.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**December 28, 2552**_

_**0800 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I was sketching in my garage, planning out how Noble's statues would look.

I had to find a more steady business than being a mercenary or Huntsman, but it was the only way I could have an excuse to travel around.  
So as much as I wanted to start up a small engineering firm; it would have to wait.

My TacPad was connected to the speaker system I had installed throughout the house.

**Playing:  
**"**Ain't No Rest For The Wicked"  
****By "Cage The Elephant"**

As the guitar strummed, I shuffled the papers into a stack as I heard the girls approaching. They can be very loud when they want to be. And; turns out they practically live next door. Small miracle they hadn't found the facility yet.

That was when I heard a large hum, and a swoosh of air as I saw a monitor suddenly appear in my garage.  
"Ah, Reclaimer! We have much to discuss; there are many things you must know!" The monitor said. "I am 025 Ashen Quarter, and you should come with me."

"Hey, can this wait? I've got guests coming very soon, and they aren't supposed to know you exist; could you just hide or something real quick? I'll call for you when they're gone." I said, trying to gently push the monitor towards the basement.

"Very well Reclaimer. I shall return when you are more prepared. After all; the test subjects should not be aware of my existence." Ashen Quarter said, disappearing in a hum of yellow light.

I sighed as I reassembled the Spartan Laser I was cleaning.

"Hey, what are you working on there?" Yang said as I felt a gust of wind behind me.

"Ohmygodswhat'sthatitlookssocoolhowdoesitwork?DoesituseDust?" Ruby went a mile a minute again, picking up the Spartan Laser and trying to see how to open it. "Do these even shift?" She asked, disappointedly.

"Heh, no. They're built for durability, and that one is one of the more durable ones; especially considering the components." I said, as Ruby's eyes practically lit up.

Yang had walked over to my desk and had flipped through some of the pages. Most of them were sketches of Noble team and their final words; along with an epitaph I planned to have on their statues. "Who's this?" She asked, holding up the sketch of Jorge.

I chuckled; knowing Jorge would love these kids. "Jorge. You'd like him. Always was the people person." My hands shook. I remembered what he had done; for all of us. For Reach.

"That's a one way trip…" I whispered, on the verge of shaking. I focused. Spartans don't have time for emotions. Our duty is to protect Humanity, and that job never ends.

"So;" I said, my voice still slightly shaking. "I've recently got a job as a teacher at Atlas. I won't be around as much soon, so I decided to get you two an early Christmas present." I said, opening the door to my actual house.

Both Yang and Ruby were interested, and they followed me into my living room.

"Now, Yang, your present is less physical than Ruby's present. I know you like weapons Ruby, so I got you...this." I said with a flourish as I pulled out the energy sword I had the Forerunner forge make. "Now; this requires a refill every now and again, but it should be as simple as getting your hands on a power source. Now; I haven't converted it to use Dust quite yet, but it would be interesting to see what can be made of it." I handed Ruby the handle, and showed her how to activate it.

A rose was inscribed into the handle, to mark it as hers. I'd like to say it was perfect for her; but she actually doesn't know how to use swords at all…  
Goddammit. I got her a gift that she can't even use well. "Now, be careful, you can cut through almost…"

"Swish!" Ruby shouted as she swung the activated energy sword around, slicing right through my table.

"...anything." I said as Yang burst out into laughter. "In other news, beware magnetic fields; interfering ones can cause it to function incorrectly. And it does do a number on Aura, so watch out."

"So, what do I get?" Yang asked, almost jumping from excitement. I almost sighed in exasperation.

"You; Yang, get free tune-ups for Bumblebee from me. After all; I am a mechanic. Now, I understand that free tune-ups aren't as cool as a new weapon; so I've decided on a second gift." I said, pausing knowing that she was probably getting really excited.

"You get to have your pick on which vehicle of mine you want to give a test drive." I said, handing her a list. Obviously, I had removed any obviously bad ideas to let children handle. For instance, the Sabre or the Elephant.

"Aw yeah!" Yang shouted in excitement, scanning through the list.  
"Warthog! No, Falcon!" She shouted. A Falcon? Oh no…

* * *

We tumbled through the sky. It couldn't be flying. What would you define crashing but without hitting the ground; after all?  
"I'm starting to regret this!" I yelled, gripping the handholds in the seat.

"Well you should have taught me how to fly this hunk of junk!" Yang shouted back.

"It's not a hunk of junk! And I could have sworn I turned on the tutorial!" I paused, thinking. "Did you turn it back off?"

"What? Pshhh; no! I would never do that!" Yang sarcastically shouted back. Ruby giggled as I sighed.

"Are we over Beacon?! Yang! How the hell did you get us this far in five minutes?!" I shouted. Usually the flight here took about an hour!

"What?! Oh, cool!" Yang shouted, as the Falcon continued to spin like a goddamned dreidel.

"Tai's never gonna let me hear the end of this!" I shouted, grabbing Ruby as she was about to fly out of the cabin.

Suddenly, an Atlesian airship appeared, although it was different from the usual ones. Winter's. The side door slid open and Winter was inside. She looked both confused and concerned.  
"I can explain, Winter. I swear!" I shouted as Yang sent the Falcon into a deeper dive than I even thought possible.

"Yang! Pull up!" Both Ruby and I shouted as the Falcon sharply jerked up.  
I called Winter; hoping she would pick up.

"Yes?" She said.

"Winter; please, please, please; use your semblance and slow us down! I'm really not flying!" I practically screamed into the TacPad.

"Wait, that's not you in the cockpit?!" She yelled.

"I'll explain later!" I responded, as the glyphs started to envelop us, slowing us down.  
Eventually we slowed down enough I was able to guide Yang to a landing.

"Alright, now ease it down, bursts of thrust from the engines and we'll be down on the ground-" I was cut off as we slammed into the ground.

"Whoops." Yang said, scratching the back of her neck as I walked around front to check the damage.

"Fortunately, this is a combat rated vehicle so it should be able to have taken most of the abuse you put it through-" I was again cut off by the entire right VTOL engine falling off. Me and my goddamned mouth.

Winter's airship set down, and Winter strutted out, glaring at me. She knew what my identity was at the moment; so I wouldn't have to worry about leaks.  
"You better have a damn good explanation for this, Markus." She said, looking at both Yang and Ruby, who nervously waved.

"Christmas present." I said, trying to strap the VTOL engine back onto the Falcon.

"What made you think allowing a teenager barely out of primary combat school to fly an airship would be a good idea?!" Winter shouted.

"Hey, I can usually handle that sort of stuff. I'd like to remind you that I was regularly deployed into combat zones all on my own, and I was told to defend a place with little to no supplies against a horde of enemies." I shot back. "And don't even get me started on the time I out-flew the Atlesian air fleet in a transport craft." I knew the kids perked up at that.

Winter just sighed in response. "One of these days, you're going to die doing something stupid."

"That's how I live my life." I shrugged. "Either way, I guess I'll see you when I 'move' into Atlas Academy."

"You got the job?" She asked.

"I'm to provide 'additional training' for 'unruly Specialists-in-training'." I chuckled, pulling out my Humbler baton and twirling it.

Winter laughed as well. "Maybe I can finally get some that will follow orders better."

"Well kids, better get y'all home." I said as they stepped out of the Falcon. Unsummoning it and summoning the Pelican; I hopped into the pilot's seat and watched as Yang strapped herself in and Ruby was zipping around examining the onboard weapons.

"She's...very excitable." Winter noted.

Stepping back out of the Pelican, I grabbed Ruby and stepped onto the Pelican. "Well, she's like that around weapons. Otherwise, she's quite easy to handle." I strained as Ruby used her semblance to try and get away.  
I heard Winter snickering to herself as I dragged Ruby onto the Pelican, shoved an unloaded SRS-99 into her hands, and slid myself into the pilot's seat. As we took off, Ruby was still fiddling with the SRS-99. I only hope she didn't try to load-

An explosion came from the Blood Tray, and setting the Pelican on autopilot and running over, the SRS-99 had a red magazine inserted into it; Ruby and the surrounding area were stained black; and Yang was laughing her ass off.

"Didn't I tell you my weapons aren't meant to use Dust?" I sighed as I took the SRS-99 and pulled the magazine out, handing it back to Ruby and taking the rifle with me to the cockpit.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**December 28, 2552**_

_**0830 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Almost redlining the engines, I was able to get the Pelican over Patch in record time.  
The Xiao-Long house was below us, and I swung the Pelican around, letting the girls jump out.

Taking back off, I landed back at my cabin. Ashen Quarter was awaiting me inside.  
"So, what's there to discuss?" I started.

""Well, Reclaimer; we have an...issue." Ashen said, and he floated lower to face me. "Containment has been broken. Quarantine measures are in effect, but they will not hold forever. No Halo Rings are able to reach this planet, we must contain it manually."

"Wait, what's being contained? Don't tell me…" I said, dreading the answer.

"Yes, Reclaimer. The Flood has breached containment."

"Fuck."

"I'm not certain what procreation has to do with this."

"Look, I have some work to do, so just give me a list of the facilities and I'll get it done when I can." I said, walking off to send that list and the show to Ozpin. If Salem got wind of any of this; the battle was already lost.

"Of course Reclaimer. The list shall be on your device."

There was work to do. But first; I would remember the forgotten.

* * *

_**Remnant, Pelican, Above Sanus**_

_**December 30, 2552**_

_**2000 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The statues were made, and I only needed to place them where they were meant to go.

First stop; Vacuo.  
Flying over there, I had formed a large foundation that wouldn't erode for a long time; and the statues were made of the same material; guaranteeing longevity.  
I placed down the statue, fusing it to the foundation.

There; Emile stood tall, in his final moments, with the epitaph and his final words engraved in the pedestal.  
"_I'm ready! How 'bout you?!"_

For those smart enough, I had buried a projector into the base of the statue, an area colored differently and composed of different material. The projector contained the footage of Emile's death, and it was accompanied by the footage of that mission. For good measure; I had also included a data file on the Covenant and the UNSC. Nothing classified, of course.

I imagine when people manage to find the data, they'll be surprised by the fact that there's other life out there. And that they hate humans.

Next; Vale.

I did the same as I had in Vacuo for Kat, and she rested within Forever Fall Forest; just on the outskirts of Beacon Academy.  
New Alexandria was carved onto the statue as well, with the city falling apart.  
"_Where does he get off calling a demolition op Priority One-"_

Then, Mistral.

This time, Jorge. As an added bonus, I had the UNSCS Savannah and the Troopers who came with us honored on the same statue.  
"_Tell 'em to make it count."_

The flashbacks were hard, but I had to get this done.  
No matter what.

Jun in Menagerie. Halsey off to the side, being escorted by him.  
"_I'll do what's necessary, sir...Good Luck."_

Finally; Atlas.  
I traveled there, entering the airspace with no incident.

Finding a nice spot in the tundra to place it; I repeated the same for Carter as I had for the rest of Noble team.  
The engraved image of a Pelican slamming into the Scarab hurt.  
"_You're on your own, Noble. Carter out."_

I got back in the Pelican and flew to Atlas Academy. The landing pad appeared, and I landed.  
Ironwood was there to greet me; as I strode over in my Mjolnir.  
"Shall we?" He gestured towards the building.

"Of course; but aren't I just disciplining misbehaving Huntsmen?" I asked.

"Well, you actually have a more proactive role." Ironwood said. "You're going to be teaching our students how to fight. And you'll be vetting our Specialists for promotions. By sparring them."

"What?!" I practically shouted. "I hope you know I'm an engineer and vehicle specialist first and foremost. Fighting is just what I do as a side product of being a Spartan."

"Hold on, you are good enough to teach the basic weapons and combat classes. Teachers are given some freedom in how their classroom runs; for example allowing the students to spar you for extra credit or the like." Ironwood chuckled. "I imagine your students are going to be in for quite the surprise when they take you on."

I laughed at that, patting the energy sword at my side. "Oh, they'll be in for a real treat. You're winning me over."

"Speaking of which, I'm assembling a team of the most elite Specialists we have. I'd like to recruit you to it." Ironwood said, gesturing to my armor. "Of course, I understand your wishes to keep your technology mostly private. I'm willing to allow you a more disconnected role from the team; operating mainly as their pilot and logistics support."

"And I always have to be on call?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, but I can try to make arrangements. Think of it as being attached to the group, but not a direct member."

"I'll consider it." I said, debating whether or not to tell him and subsequently Ozpin about the Flood and the Forerunners.  
I decided against it for now, I would get there when I got there. More specifically, when most of the other stuff to deal with was dealt with.

We entered the building, and the school was quiet.  
"Now, it's rather early in the morning and during the break, so I'm off to go back to sleep. You can prepare your lesson. The previous teacher left his notes there." Ironwood led us to the classroom and gestured towards the desk; which held a stack of papers.

I nodded as Ironwood left, turning on the lights and shuffling through the notes and the student roster.

* * *

_**A/N: For the commentary, I figured I would answer the comments that exist; specifically the three new ones that have been made in response to my previous chapter.**_

_**Sm0keyPanda: Yes, the information thing is weird; but it's as tricky to write around as it is to make convincing. Still think it's a fun element to have included, though. Expect more shenanigans and bullshittery to occur.**_

_**VGBlackwing: This is a slight Halo AU; where Six is arguably an entirely different character. Imagine a Spartan with the average Internet shitposter's personality, and then sent on increasingly stupider and stupider missions and you have Noble Six in this story.**_

_**Fenrir Wylde Razgriz: No problem, man. I usually post whenever I feel like; so sorry to keep you and all the others that await an update of this story on your toes everyday. On the other hand, that means you could receive up to 3 or 4 chapters at once(depending on how bored I am or when I realize I must be practically torturing you guys with not updating).**_


	10. Why Do We Let You Near Kids Again?

_**A/N: Foreword-The Chapter Title sounds worse than it is(probably, you read and decide for yourself). The ancient enemy shows itself, Six tries to teach a bunch of teenagers, and I'm pretty sure I'm toeing the line of writing a relationship(It's literally not intended, I did explicitly state that I would not write romance earlier).**_

_**Just remembered this; and I figured I should ask it on the recent one where everyone who tunes into this will see it.  
The original version(way before reaching where we are at both officially and unofficially) had the verses played in tandem with the fight scenes, but I removed them because of legalese.  
Then I remembered fanfiction is basically already breaking copyright law and I doubt anybody is going to want to remove what is essentially free advertising(Honestly, who give a shit? If they don't like it being up, they can message me and I'll remove it).  
Tell me if I should go back and add in the song verses or not.**_

_**Also; third chapter, partially to pick up where chapter nine left off and to introduce a few more pieces to the equation of Remnant.**_

_**Enjoy.**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Solitas**_

_**January 8, 2553**_

_**0700 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Having long finished reviewing each student's profile and the current curriculum; I had just finished my planned introduction to the class.

Sitting behind the desk, I had laid out the MA37 and Kat's Magnum on the desk; written on the board 'Markus Steel, Private Consultant to the Atlas Military' and had the M392 DMR leaning against the desk.

The papers were stacked and left off to the side, with Noble's emblem hung up on the wall behind me.  
I hid behind the desk in my Mjolnir. I would 'walk in' from outside and pretend to be somewhat late. See how they acted when they thought I wasn't around.

Soon after, the students filed in.  
"What's on the desk?"  
"Markus Steel? That's our new professor?"  
"What kind of name is that anyways?"  
"Who cares; they're not here. It's a free period!" One shouted.  
The rest seemed to agree, and began talking or slacking around. Others were over at the desk, inspecting my weapons.

Slipping out the door, I unsummoned the Mjolnir and walked in.  
"I am 'Markus Steel'. Welcome to Combat Class." I boomed, erasing my writing on the board.

"Now, I know you all have gone over the very basics of combat, but your previous instructor failed to mention a few key elements I believe you should know…"

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 15, 2553**_

_**1230 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"And most of all, sometimes; orders are meant to be ignored." I said, pacing in my Mjolnir as I flipped on the projector once more.

"Civilians were caught in the invasion; and the evacuations were still underway. We had orders to withdraw, the city was lost." I continued, the students enraptured. They were used to me playing strange footage, with strange enemies and allies in strange clothing.  
"Now, we all collectively decided to ignore that order, at least until the civilians were away. The civilians didn't ask for that war. None of us did. But we would fight until the last if that was what it took to get the civilians away." I finished, as the bell rang.

"Class Dismissed." I said as the students filed out.  
This was pretty fun. Most of the students were pretty respectful once they realized I could go invisible and the few that didn't had remained pretty quiet, following instructions, participating, and doing their assignments. Showing footage of and analyzing what I did when fighting off the Covenant all on my own or with support wasn't all that hard. Application of those skills wasn't that hard, and the students were growing quite well. The few who wanted extra credit or a more challenging foe got the chance to duel me.

Nobody had taken up the offer.  
Maybe I should start the next year of students with the promise of even more extra credit?

Whatever. I ate the packed rations I had brought along, able to fly back and forth every week to resupply.  
I still had yet to teach them the importance of having support and the various types of support.

I had mentioned that Aura was quite important and had requested an Aura manipulation expert assist for classes.  
Of course, Ironwood was ever helpful, and I got an 'assistant'. More like a co-teacher, but whatever.

His name was Kevin Lime. Fuck if I know why there's a 'Kevin' in any department like this. Even less for why 'Kevin' would sound good along with 'Lime'.  
"So, the family alright?" I asked Kevin.

"Yeah, they're pretty well off. We're thinking of getting a larger apartment." He said, munching on his sandwich.

"That's always nice. Just remember, I'm an engineer on the side. If you need something built, just ask me. I'll do it for free." I said, gesturing to the board.

"It's alright Markus. We don't need anything yet." He responded.

"Well, if you say so." I said, grabbing the water bottle on my desk.

"So, what's the next class?" Kevin asked.

"Weapons Care and Handling; I think we just teach them how to tune up their weapons and stuff." I said, shrugging. My TacPad beeped. "Oh fuck off…" I said, looking at the message.

**Reclaimer,  
****New Flood Outbreak  
****Status: Minor, developing rapidly  
****Recommend Immediate Extermination.**

"What is it?" Kevin asked.

"Well, think you can handle this class alone?" I asked, walking to the door.

"Uh, why?" He asked, concerned.

"I need to talk to Ironwood. It's really important." Kevin looked unsure; but I left before he could say anything.  
Calling Ironwood, I simply told him I would be in his office.  
As I ascended in the elevator, I pulled off my MK VI helmet. When the doors opened, Ironwood was waiting for me, standing behind his desk. He was in a call with Ozpin, and I stepped off the elevator, standing at attention.

"At ease, Six. What's so urgent you had to come in person?" Ironwood asked.

"Is the network secured yet?" I asked in return.

"Only direct lines between the Academies, but it's a work in progress." Ozpin answered for Ironwood.

"Well, I've got some information you two will want to know about." I said, pausing to decide how to phrase it. "It probably wouldn't surprise you to know I'm not from Remnant. After all, you've seen the heavily redacted footage I show the students here." Ironwood nodded while Ozpin looked intrigued.

"What if I told you there was other life out there; life that will most definitely challenge your beliefs, and told you that there are several species of them?" I said. Ironwood looked concerned, Ozpin seemed more interested.

"Do we need to prepare to combat these...aliens?" Ironwood said, pacing around the office.

"Well, there's three-Technically four factions to deal with. There's the UNSC, the Covenant, and the Flood." I said, counting off the major factions I knew of. "The UNSC is the human faction, the one I'm from. We've been fighting a losing war against a faction of genocidal aliens, the Covenant." I continued."

"What of the Flood or the fourth faction?" Ozpin asked.

"Well, the Flood aren't a major worry last I checked, they should have been contained; but they've gotten loose here on Remnant. The fourth faction is the Forerunners. They died to contain the Flood, and have been long gone ever since."

Ironwood seemed furious. "When were you going to tell us this?!"

"When I decided they were actually relevant to events on Remnant, and as of right now; the Flood have breached containment and a major outbreak has occurred." I shot back, sliding on my helmet.  
"The Flood is a parasitic virus that lives off of biomass; turning the host into a zombie of sorts, it even takes the host's knowledge and turns it against its former allies. Think zombies, but multiplied by spiders. They become sentient if enough biomass is gathered, and I've just been notified of an outbreak that's growing fast."

"This is bad; Ozpin, maybe even worse than Salem…" Ironwood groaned, continuing to pace around his office.

"The outbreak will be dealt with. Just make sure I'm not needed while I'm gone." I said, walking onto the elevator.

* * *

_**Remnant, Unnamed Facility, Dragon Shaped Island**_

_**January 16, 2553**_

_**1428 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I trudged through the halls, still lit and mostly well-kept.

'Merlot Industries' It said on the way in. My credits were on 'Isolated corporation messing with things they don't understand'.  
I just hope the outbreak wasn't so bad…

Goddamnit.  
I just stumbled into a 'Flood hive'. There were already sacks of flesh growing on the walls, and tendrils of flesh snaked everywhere. Some were imbued with a black, smokey look; while others contained shreds of torn clothing. The sacks were pulsing, and were puffing out some green smoke. Probably Flood spores.

Thank goodness I had brought along my EOD Mjolnir, the hood on the other one would be a bitch to decontaminate.

I withdrew a canister of Fire Dust, and began sprinkling it all over the room.  
After setting the room up, I walked into the next room and ignited the Dust.

The door closed on a room filled with flame.

Several combat forms rushed at me, with a swarm of infection forms at their heels.  
Leveling my MA37, I opened fire.  
The infection forms popped like popcorn, but the combat forms weren't slowing.

Good thing I had brought along the M45 for good measure.  
Drawing it, I dumped several rounds into each one; tearing them apart, the rotting flesh no match for the cloud of hardlight pellets.

I kept walking through each room, clearing them as I went.  
This outbreak was bad, the Flood were already starting to terraform the environment.

As I cleared out a hallway, one of the signs read 'Testing'.  
I headed in, because the egotistical fuckwads probably tried to 'improve' the Flood here.

As I descended the staircase down, the floor was littered with casings and some dropped weapons, with helmets and coats being scattered all over the place. Glass shards coated the floor, crinkling as I stepped on them. The lights were flickering for some reason, and sparks were showering from some panels on the wall and ceiling. The rooms that were supposed to hold the Flood were broken and crushed, likely from some infected Grimm forcing their way out.

The PA crackled to life. "To the armored man in the facility; I would like to ask you to please help us recontain this breach." A feminine voice smoothly said. I sighed. Goddamned idiot. She had probably breathed in the spores, and the Flood hadn't taken hold yet. I would have to kill everyone here regardless. Walking over to a computer stained with blood, I saw several experiment logs. I opened them, and read.

* * *

_Log #31_

_We've managed to find these specimens within the tubes and tanks of this facility, and we began testing to see what they do. So far, they keep trying to burrow into the host's nervous system; but we haven't determined what for. Every Grimm we introduce to them kills the specimens before it can proceed further._

_May have to proceed to human testing._

_This facility isn't as expansive as the one back at Mount Glenn, but we can't exactly continue to conduct operations in a ruined lab constantly under siege by Grimm._

_-Dr. Andrews_

* * *

Idiots, the lot of them.

Introducing the Flood to the Grimm?

Bad idea.

* * *

_Log #32_

_Human subjects have not been approved, although I have heard there are pushes to get it approved._

_Attempted to infect a restrained Beowolf, appears they fuse together, with the specimen creating several growths on the Grimm._

_Again, I recommend we observe the effects on human and faunus subjects._

_-Dr. Andrews_

* * *

Oh no.

Fuck no.

Don't tell me…

* * *

_Log #42_

_The Ursa introduction went well, and the correct documents have been submitted to request a group of Lancers._

_Several breach attempts have been noted, and security has been increased proportionately, with more guards and automated turrets. These checkpoints are getting to be annoying to get through in the morning._

_Human subjects have finally been approved, and a subject has been introduced to it._

_The subject's left arm began to violently mutate, with what appears to be bones erupting from the arm into a claw or whip-like structure. The head of the subject has been thrown off to the side, with the specimen burrowing into the host's upper chest. Subject has been confirmed deceased, and it has begun attempts to escape._

_Currently, a few bulbous sacks on the back of the host are of note, but the purpose of this is not yet ascertained._

_The facility's files are still being decrypted, and the technology here is fascinating from what I hear. Perhaps we could use it to help our experimentation?_

_-Dr. Andrews_

* * *

The idiots. They have introduced it to people and Grimm.

They combined the intellect of a person with the strength of a Grimm…

* * *

_Log #56_

_To observe how other hosts interact with one another, we introduced them to one another._

_During the transfer of the specimen to their new chambers, several security staff were attacked and infected by the specimens._

_Interesting. The first human host infected by the specimen had the sacks erupt, and more of the initial specimens jumped out, infecting the security team._

_The automated defenses were able to delay the specimens long enough for additional security to arrive, but bullets appear to be ineffective._

_Dust seems to be the only factor that assists in killing the specimens, with Fire Dust having a noted efficiency; if the security team's reports were correct._

_-Dr. Andrews_

* * *

Goddammit. I closed the final log and I got back to work.

I'd personally request this place be nuked, but I just had to kill the likely Proto-Gravemind that had been established and clear out any major Flood presence and the Sentinels could clean up the rest.

There wasn't anything in Testing, as this was where the Flood broke out, and it didn't have anything really important here.  
Exiting the branch, I stepped into the hallway once more.

There should be more Flood forms.  
Where did they?

That was when I heard the crawling.  
Shit.

Readying the M45, I had ArmorLock and the Drop Shield to keep me safe if anything took down my shields, and the Energy Sword I had also brought along would be very helpful.

The door labeled 'Armory' crumpled and broke, bursting open as a swarm of infection forms came crawling out. Seven combat forms followed, and a carrier form waddled out as well.  
Why is it always me?

The combat and infection forms start moving towards me.  
Combat forms are armed, one with a rifle and the remains of some armor plating and the rest with pipes and wooden beams.  
The carrier form starts lumbering over, and a nearby panel showers some more sparks.

Unload the M45 into the swarm.  
Pellets rain down on the horde, and the combat forms leap at me.  
Blow them out of the sky.

The one with the rifle opens fire; flaring up my shields.

Grab my MA37 with my left hand, spray the swarm of infection forms.  
Most of them pop in a burst of spores, with only 5 left.

Drop the MA37, fire the M45.  
The last infection forms pop, and the last combat form keeps trying to fire.

Good thing it didn't learn how to reload.  
It drops its own rifle and lunges.

Fire the M45.  
Flesh torn from bone, the abomination stopped.

I crouch down to grab the MA37, when I hear something behind me.

Oh shit, I forgot about the carrier form.  
Turning around, I see a hulking form pulsing, the carrier form having plopped down.  
It explodes, sending me flying as infection forms burst forth, and try to crawl onto me.

My weapons were knocked away in the blast. Energy sword is still at my side, though.

Draw and ignite.  
Slashing back and forth, I slowly clear my way through the swarm.

Finally clearing them out, I grab my fallen weapons and trudge onwards.

Room after room, and extermination after extermination.  
Still, PA Bitch was still dumb, thinking she could appeal to me and live.

I did learn some things from her; that was at least helpful. Made my job easier.  
Like which rooms I should clear out, and which rooms had people in them.

I really should just level the facility when I'm done, but the Flood spores were too much of a threat.  
Instead, I figured I would deal with them later. I simply locked them in, citing that the environment was unsafe.

Then I saw some Sentinels fly past; but they were...covered in Flood biomass?

Shit. Shit. Shit.

I dove for cover as they noticed me and turned their beams on me.  
I burst fired the MA37, taking down several of them, but one was still standing.

This one had tentacles of some sort, and it zoomed towards me, firing its beam all the while.  
Swapping for the M45, I unloaded a hardlight shell into the corrupted Sentinel, taking it down.

Keep going.  
Time passing, not sure how long.

Finally clear my way into the Cafeteria, where the Proto-Gravemind is. Clear out the room, start spraying C-7 Foam at structural spots.  
The room will collapse, but the facility won't. Should destroy all the biomass once I do my thing.

Place Fire Dust canisters around the mass of flesh, sever the tendrils spanning around the room, and start making makeshift Molotov Cocktails. Continuing a fine tradition from several hundred years ago.

And after all, why not go for overkill?

I light them with a little spark from a box of matches I found, and the PA crackled to life.  
"Oh thank you, now please, once you're done; get us out of here!"

I grimaced, knowing I would have to kill them to prevent the spread of the Flood. Tossing the make-shift fire bombs, the room ignited in flame as I walked out.  
Once I made it to the first room of 'survivors' I detonated the C-7, causing the whole facility to rumble and the lights to go out.

Shit.  
As much as Spartans can see in the dark, we still need some light to make our eyes work. This facility was practically pitch black.  
Activating the VISR in my helmet, I continued with my work.

A shaped charge set to blow a small hole in the wall and kill everyone inside with Fire Dust.  
When it was ready, I activated the timer and headed for the next room.

One down, Four to go.

I kept going, repeating the process.  
Finally, I made it to the intercom room.

"Oh; you're here! Thank the Gods. Now get us out of here!" She was fiddling with the door controls, unlocking the door.  
I raised my hand, stopping her from opening the door. "Did you know the air here is contaminated and that everybody here has already been infected?"

"What? No…" She seemed shocked, she must have thought the green fog was harmless.

"It usually works fast, but small exposure could lead to asymptomatic carriers. I'm sorry." I said, slapping another shaped charge and jury-rigging it to kill everyone inside.  
To ensure she didn't leave, I fused the door to the wall, making sure she couldn't get out.

Granted, a Semblance might do it; but I doubt she would want to immediately become infected anyways.

As I walked out of the facility, several Sentinels awaited me. The facility rumbled again, and Ashen appeared.  
"Excellent work, Reclaimer. We shall decontaminate the facility now." The Sentinels swept their beams over me, ensuring my armor was clean.

"Watch out. Spores were being released pretty heavily in there." I said, letting them decontaminate my weapons as I summoned the Pelican.  
I got in and took off for Atlas.

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**January 16, 2553**_

_**1500 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Landing, I switched over to the MK VI prototype armor and walked into the building.  
"Finally, you're back. How did it go?" Ironwood asked, obviously nervous.

"It went well. Outbreak was worse than I was led to believe; they had already started changing the environment." I said, standing still.

"That's bad…" Ironwood muttered, rubbing his temples. "And you say there's more places that hold samples of the Flood?"

"Yes, but they are contained. Significantly safer when nobody is messing with them, but I'm having them purged regardless. The only problem to really worry about now is eradicating the Flood outbreaks that have gone unnoticed and have spread to the overall area." I said, sending the footage to Ironwood.  
"When the Flood has grown enough, it begins changing the environment to something more favorable for it to continue growing; and it releases spores of itself into the air. This was occuring at the facility, prompting me to take extreme measures." I said, as the footage began to play on Ironwood's computer. "Granted, we can't have any witnesses that know of the existence of it regardless of if they are infected or not. Speaking of which; does the name Merlot Industries sound familiar to you?"

"You'd have to ask Ozpin; but if they were doing what I think they were then they need to be rooted out and eliminated."

Walking into the elevator, I nodded. "They were. Experimenting on the Flood with the Grimm and people. If it didn't risk Remnant, I would have leveled the facility."  
With that, the elevator descended. I stepped out and walked back into the classroom.

"Ah, that was an eventful 'business trip'." I said, checking my weapons to make sure they were fully decontaminated.

"Markus; I take it your trip was productive?" Kevin eyed me, probably curious as to what I had been doing. "And what's with the armor?"

"Well, I was conducting a more extreme Huntsman mission. Very extreme." I said, walking over to the desk and nudging Kevin. "I'll see if I can tell you about it later." Turning back to the class, I continued. "Now, where were we?"

"We were going over the importance of caring for your weapons."

"Well; that one's pretty easy. Now, I was personally taught that weapons are just tools, but as I've been told in the Huntsman trade, y'all think of them practically as a whole 'nother person. So; treat it like your newborn child, if you haven't gotten the message yet. Obviously, you should check to see if the way you handle your weapon is harmful to it in the long run."  
"Of course, having a simpler weapon doesn't mean you should skip some steps when caring for it, just because your weapon doesn't shift or has as many moving parts doesn't mean you shouldn't care for it as much as you can."  
At this point Kevin had just sat down in his chair and reclined, propping his legs up against his desk.

"Now, have you all had the chance to maintain your weapons yet?" I asked; only to receive a chorus of 'no's and shaking heads.  
"Well, then consider the rest of the period as time to maintain your weapons!" I boomed, walking over and leaned against Kevin's desk.

"So, what was your 'urgent business' this time?" He said, one eyebrow raised as he sipped his coffee.

"Well, I was off saving the world." I said, cocking my head at him as he spat out his drink.

"What?!" He coughed out; as I patted him on the back.

"Just following in the footsteps of some former colleagues; don't worry about it." I said as I walked around the workshop area, inspecting each student's actions.  
"Very good students, you are all progressing quite nicely!"

As the time passed, most of the students shifted from maintaining their weapons to improving them, with some pulling out paper and others retrieving parts.  
Soon, the bell rang, and the students filed out after cleaning up the workshop.

I grabbed the MA37 and M45, grabbing a blowtorch. I began disassembling both weapons, carefully burning each part as I went.  
Kevin walked out the classroom, closing the door on his way out.

When I had finished ensuring the weapons were decontaminated, I used my helmet to scan for anything resembling a Flood spore in the air.  
Nothing, guess the slipspace travel and the initial decontamination was enough.

Unsummoning the weapons and armor, I walked back to my assigned dorm and lay down on the bed.

Today really was an eventful day.  
Please, just let me have some peace before everything goes to shit.

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**January 16, 2553**_

_**1530 Hours**_

_**Ozpin**_

So, this Flood was concerning. Just from Ironwood and Six's reports and the footage of Six fighting them...It was a threat to rival Salem herself.

This had the potential to be bad. I would deploy trusted Huntsmen to deal with this, but if what I had been told was true, the Flood could infect the air with spores that would infect anyone who breathed it in.  
An infected Huntsman that would be able to use Aura would be bad enough, but apparently the knowledge was spread to all Flood, and as such, every Flood would learn about Huntsman tactics and fight like one.

Conversely, Six was also at such a risk, but he assured me he was capable enough.

And Salem's mole.  
Now, I hadn't quite removed Leo from his position as Headmaster of Haven Academy, but I still had to find a successor and figure out just how much was compromised.

As if I didn't have enough headaches by ensuring the future went as planned; by 'influencing' the formation of two half-sisters, a former terrorist, and an heiress into a team and one composed of two orphans, one terrible student, and the Invincible Girl herself onto another team. In fact, they had technology we didn't even have yet!

Wait…  
Six mentioned and showed something similar to those machines shown.  
Perhaps his actions do bleed into the videos…

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 20, 2553**_

_**0700 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I was working in my workshop while Winter watched me.  
"Ahem." She said as I ignored her, still going over the designs for the memorial to Reach itself.  
"**Ahem.**" She said, even louder this time, and I finally turned around.

"What?" I said, looking at her.

"What is the purpose of this?" She snapped, glaring at me.

"You did want to see my place. Not sure why you wanted to other than to see if my home was as advanced as my weapons and vehicles. The armed escort wasn't necessary either." I said, turning back to my work.

"How so? Anyone could sneak up on this place right now." She challenged; as I pushed aside the designs and began fiddling with a replica of Etilka.

"Well, I designed the house to have sightlines in the form of windows that cover vast swaths of the surrounding area, and there are hidden mechanisms that can pop the reinforced panes from the windows, and turrets ready to be summoned with a ready connection to a generator. If that wasn't enough, the entire building is coated with a material that is used to quickly create fortifications in combat zones from where I come from, and the basement has a hidden armory."

Winter seemed shocked that I had hidden so much protection right into the design itself, without having to rely on the hidden mechanisms present in my technology.

"Surprised? I'm a combat engineer. One of the best. Of course I can do this."

"Well, to be fair, your defenses aren't very visible."  
I unscrewed the final screw and lifted off a piece of armor plating, laying it down.  
"What is that anyways?" Winter asked.

"This is Etilka. His weapon." I said, pointing at Jorge's helmet.

"I've been meaning to ask; what happened to all of them?" She asked, wandering over to inspect the helmets.

"Dead or gone." I said, the last piece of armor plating being removed a bit more forcefully than I should have.  
Then, the usual visit from Ruby and Yang. I again heard them long before they actually arrived.

The new motion trackers I had installed around the cabin's perimeter helped, too.  
"And, we're going to have company soon."

"Who?" Winter reached for her sword, tensing up.

"Relax; it's those kids I let joyride the Falcon. And they're two of the eight I mentioned being important. 'Side's, they're also Qrow's nieces and I do the guy a favor by watching over them for him."

"What?!" Winter practically shouted.

"Jeez, calm down. They aren't that bad. One's obsessed with weapons and the other's just...Aggressive. It's not as bad as it sounds. I've been dealing with them since I moved in and it's not that hard to keep them occupied." I said, thinking on how I would keep them busy this time.

"Do you have any plans in mind?" Winter asked.

"Probably ask if they want to spar with me; give 'em a few lessons. That or I just let them hang out for a bit, like I usually let them. They really seem to like the games console I had made a while back. Not sure why, it's only got a few games on it." I mused, thinking back to those games.  
What were they? I know they were really old...Oh right; some game called Minecraft and the rest part of a series called DOOM. Hm. Not sure how old those were, but I do know they dated back at least 500 or so years…

I personally hadn't had time to play them myself to see what they were, but the games themselves weren't that bad. I did check the labels and stuff first. I think I did, anyway.

"Ruby, wait up!" Yang yelled as a cloud of rose petals erupted into the room and materialized into Ruby.

"Sorry Yang!" Ruby shouted back as Yang hurtled through the garage door, out of breath.  
I chuckled as Yang and Ruby raced each other to the game console, all while Winter just looked on, shocked as the duo beelined straight for the TV I had set up in the living room.

"Are you ready to '**Rip and Tear!**', Ruby?" Yang said excitedly.

"YES!" Ruby yelled back in even more excitement.

"Is that even appropriate for them?" Winter asked as a game played out on the screen, showing both Ruby and Yang brutally massacring swaths of realistic demons.

"I may be a Spartan, but babysitting is not one of the things I was trained to do." I said, shrugging.  
I got back to modifying Etilka, and the second I lifted up the mechanism protecting the chambering and holding the magazine, I heard Ruby zip over.

"Whoa! What is this?"

"This; is Etilka. Jorge's weapon. Big man was indeed sentimental." I said, grabbing the dog tags I now carried with me wherever I went. "Always said he would never leave Reach…" I muttered under my breath.

"How does it work?" Ruby had begun to learn to pace her questions, but she could go off on another mile-a-minute barrage of questions when she got too excited.

"Well, the gun's been modified from the standard template. Now; one thing it does is it fires custom rounds. High Velocity, Explosive 12.7 by 99 millimeter rounds. High capacity magazine, able to fire at least 200 rounds. Don't ask for the actual number. My helmet caps it out at 200 and doesn't go farther. In fact, I believe it just displays an Infinity symbol for some reason." I said, shrugging at the last part. And the supposedly infinite ammunition might be true, the few times I had used it I hadn't run out yet.

"How is it modified?" Ruby asked.

"Well, the standard square shield around here;" I pointed to the point where a normal M247H would have its shield; "Was removed, and a heat shield was placed over the barrel." I patted the place where the heat shield would go, having removed it already.

"That must be heavy though." Ruby said, poking it.

"Well, I am pretty strong. I was practically made to be, anyways." I said, showing footage of me flipping a Warthog. I would have shown flipping a Scorpion, but I haven't had many chances to pilot one. Even less for flipping one.

"How much does that car even weigh?" Winter asked.

"Three metric tons. Can vary slightly depending on the weaponry, or lack of it, mounted on the back." I said.

"Three tons?!" Ruby shouted.

Yang came over this time. "What's this about three tons?" She almost demanded.  
"I just told them that the Warthog weighs three metric tons and I can flip an overturned one." I had the feeling Yang was about to challenge me to a lifting contest. If I lose to a 15 year old…

"Also, Markus. I heard you ran off during one of your lessons at Atlas Academy. What was that about?" Winter decided to cut in.

"W-Were you not told?" I asked, confused.

"Told about what?" She said.

"Alright kids, it's time for you two to get back to playing games. This is...adult stuff." I said, walking them over to the door to the living room. I shut the door as they walked through, and turned back to Winter.  
"This is significantly scarier than our 'great enemy'. So prepare yourself, because you're about to see me fight them. And the measures required to deal with them." I said as I played the footage. Winter watched for a while as I sped between irrelevant parts.

"What...are these?" She asked in horror.

"The Flood. Another threat to Remnant, perhaps even greater than Salem. Just know that I'm working to contain them. There's a very good reason Huntsmen haven't been sent to deal with this." I said, shutting off the footage and working on Etilka again.

"What do you mean? We should mobilize the entire Atlesian military to combat this!" She almost shouted.

"Hey, keep it down. They're probably listening in. I've sound-proofed this room slightly so we should be fine, but keep the noise down; would ya? Now, the main reason why not is because it can assimilate memories and knowledge as easy as assimilating flesh. Do you really want Atlesian technology and tactics being compromised that badly?" I urged.

Winter just sighed, and leaned against a wall. "So how do you combat them?"

"Fire Dust seems to work quite well, and my gunpowder and hardlight rounds seemed to work."

"Gunpowder is ancient! It has that much power?"

"Heh, no. Gunpowder doesn't break Aura, and I find the hardlight rounds apparently ignore Aura. There's a reason I'm not giving Ironwood all my tech."  
She just stared at me in silence.  
"I haven't killed anyone significant."

She kept staring.  
"Ok, so I have killed some people, but they have no impact on the future. I think."

She just sighed again, and walked into the living room.. "I'm going to clear my head. You are somehow both intelligent and absolutely stupid at the same time!"

Yang and Ruby just snickered, and I got back to work on Etilka.  
"Now, kids. Would you two like to explain why you were standing by the door?" I said, as I removed the firing mechanism and began to start cleaning the weapon's parts.

They stopped snickering now.  
Sometimes, it's like I'm becoming a fucking parent.

Other times, I swear I'm just a lonely man hiding out in a cabin in the woods.  
And on the few occasions where I finally feel like a Spartan again, I get my flashbacks.

"So, mind explaining yourselves?"

"We're grown up! We can handle this stuff!" Yang said defensively.

"Yeah, I drink milk!" Ruby shouted.

I chuckled at that, but I got serious. "Kids, that was stuff that could give you nightmares and frankly; it's worse than Grimm. Just don't get it in your head to get into these sorts of things."  
They nodded, and they got back to their game.

I finished cleaning and reassembling Etilka, and by then it was an hour or two since Yang and Ruby came over.  
"Alright kids, time for you two to head back. It's been a while. Either that or you do your homework here, if you brought it along." I said, walking through the living room and into the kitchen, where I started to grab some cooking supplies.

I had been looking at stuff on Remnant's Internet, and had found myself some cooking recipes.  
Strangely enough, this was one of those things they gave some training on, but only enough to make sure we could make our own meals to eat when stranded.

Unfortunately, I barely passed that part of training, and the food I made usually tasted like a Warthog tire.  
I could have sworn Spartans couldn't get wasted in a few sips, but it turns out 199 proof alcohol is enough to get them tipsy.

I swear Noble had slipped me a glass of fucking rocketfuel that night.  
We only had a few days off-duty together, and shit hadn't quite hit the fan yet.

But still. Someone had definitely slipped me pure fucking ethanol.  
On the other hand, it is pretty funny to see the local government sanctioned sociopathic assassin get fucking wasted. The footage of what I had done when I blacked out was hilarious. I mean, I had heard the stories of me attempting the infamous Warthog jump, but I didn't think I would fail that hard.

I grabbed a few ingredients and followed the instructions; dumping them in a bowl.  
Actually, speaking of skills I needed to pick up; parkouring might help.  
Unfortunately, Mjolnir would probably collapse any buildings I jumped onto.

Oh well.

Stirring, I scooped the mixed ingredients into a pan.  
I had prepared some meat beforehand, and I placed it on another pan.

The sizzles grew in intensity as I flipped the meat and stirred around the contents of the other pan.  
After some time, I heard Yang wander in as I plated the food, setting it aside and preparing more.

I still had to feed Winter. Her guards were all AK-130s, and required no such thing.  
"So, what's cooking?" Yang asked, leaning against a counter.

"Some food. Wanted to brush up on my skills. Y'all planning on staying to eat?" I asked.

"Well, why not. Dad won't mind." I raised an eyebrow at that.

"Okay maybe he will mind; but he probably doesn't care. I mean, we've known you for months!" Yang said defensively.

"If you say so…" I sighed, grabbing more of the ingredients.  
"Thanks, Markus!" Yang said as she walked back into the living room.  
Repeating the process for three plates, I grabbed utensils for all of them.

Picking up two plates with their utensils, I walked into the living room and placed them in front of the two kids.  
"Alright, after eating, you two should probably head home." I said, heading back into the kitchen as both of them pouted.

Ruby was probably trying to give me puppy eyes, but they can't affect you if you don't see them.

I grabbed both my plate and Winter's, walking over to her seat at the newly repaired table.  
"Here." I said, setting down her plate and sitting down across from her. "So, how's work been?"

"Ugh, it's been horrible. I thought you were disciplining Specialists?"

"Well, turns out I'm teaching at Atlas Academy. And setting Specialists straight is a side job, one I haven't been able to get around to. Got a list of them? I can start after getting back." I said, digging into my food.

"Of course. I'll send them to your Scroll. It'd be great if you'd actually set them straight, then maybe I could finally have some Specialists that actually ignore their pride and follow orders."

"How's Weiss? I've been meaning to ask."

"She's fine, but I haven't been able to keep up with her as much. Her training is going well from what I hear." Winter said, also eating her food.

"Well, has she mentioned getting a use out of that knife I gave her?"

"You gave her what?!"

"A knife. Special material; too. Cuts through almost anything. Special sheath and everything needed. Figured if she needed a backup weapon that would be it."

"Whaf mafes you fink fhat woulv be a good ideaf?!" Winter shouted with her mouth full.

"Well, you know why. You were there when I showed my trump card; after all."

"We don't know if that's how things will go."

"We do, so far the evidence I have points to that fact. One of the VIPs was attacked, and I stopped it. I've seen all the signs that would prove my theory correct."

We ate in awkward silence after that, as Ruby and Yang ate and laughed in the background.

"Do you want a ride back now or…?" I said, having finished my plate and setting it aside for now.

"I'll consider it." Winter said as she finished her plate as well.

I grabbed her plate and mine, and went to go wash them.  
The water rinsed away the remains of the food, as I grabbed the sponge and the cleaning liquid.

I know the dishwasher existed, but I preferred the manual work.  
Kept me grounded and kept the demons in my mind at bay.

As the plates were fully scrubbed, I rinsed them again and placed them on a drying rack just above the sink.  
Stepping back into the living room, both Yang and Ruby were done. I grabbed their plates and washed them as well, setting them aside to dry.  
"Alright kids. Y'all brought your homework or are you planning on heading home?"

"We'll head home. C'mon Ruby; I know you have a project due on Monday!" Yang said, pulling Ruby along as she tried to grab for the controller again.  
Laughing, I shut off the TV and the console, putting away the controllers.

"What type of console is that?"

"Eh, something from where I come from."

"It's more advanced than Atlas."

"Damn right."

"That's not possible! Atlas is the most technologically advanced kingdom on Remnant!"

"Atlas is the most advanced. On Remnant."

"Wait...Impossible!" Winter cried out as she looked at me.

"Well, I'm living proof, aren't I?"

"I always thought your armor was just an Atlas prototype…"

"Then why does it say 'UNSC' on three different places on my helmet?"

"I just figured that was a project codename…"

I just shook my head and sighed. "I thought you would have noticed first."

"Well, I'm sorry I wasn't more aware!"

"Have you not been hearing the rumors of the Atlas Academy combat teacher showing heavily censored combat footage?"

"What?!"

"Have you been living under a rock? Do you not hear about things from Atlas?"

"I travel a lot ok?!"

I sighed, walking up the stairs.  
"I'm off to rest. It's been a while since I've been able to unwind for once."

I entered my bedroom as the door slid closed behind me, one of the few 'modern' mechanisms in the home not dedicated for defense. I placed my jacket on a chair, and placed the weapons on the desk nearby.  
I collapsed onto the bed. The sun was still up in the sky; but I just needed time to myself.

_"Welcome to the joint operation between ONI Sections Zero, One, and Three. This is a rare occasion; do not mess this up. Spartan; you're going 'rogue' to retrieve some intel from a deep-cover Insurrectionist mole within our forces. They are too high up in the chain of command to remove through conventional means without drawing attention. We need intel on what they've leaked; how far this plot goes. Current intel suggests they are the ring-leader of a large Insurrectionist spy-ring deep within the UNSC. Interrogate and eliminate the mole and then root out the spy-ring. You'll have no support once you're deployed; and you will be hunted by other Spartans." The ONI spook said, standing tall as he stared on into my helmet._

_My EOD helmet at my side, I nodded. "Yes sir. Do I get support until I am officially declared as 'rogue'?"_

_"Yes, but we can only requisition so much. The UNSC will want to know why a Spartan-III who went rogue on a HeadHunter mission would be so heavily armed if we give you too much."_

_"I only need a few munitions dead drops." I said, sliding the EOD helmet on. My Sapper chest rig shook slightly, and I tightened the straps._

_"The mole's profile will be sent to your HUD. Remember. Interrogate, eliminate, then root out the rest of the spy-ring." The ONI spook repeated, with his pauldrons flashing._

_"Am I going planet-hopping, sir?" I asked, picking at some of the green and brown paint flaking off the Recon pauldrons._

_"For the mole you will be deployed to Alexandria Station; an Orbital Defense Platform in geosynchronous orbit over Reach. The mole has the rank of Admiral and will rest their fleet there to repair and recover. The rest of the spy-ring will have to be improvised."  
__I nodded again and walked out, making my way down to the armory._

I lurched upright from the bed. Another ghost of the past.

Admiral George Kovac.

An officer who somehow hadn't seen major action against the Covenant, only engaging in small skirmishes.

And those small skirmishes were for us, not the Covenant. For them, every 'battle' was probably a skirmish.

His fleet had taken a beating and were temporarily being held at Reach to repair and refit their ships.

I had been given an active camo unit. Rare; these things.

The Admiral had been selling us out pretty bad, it actually made sense why a Spartan was deployed.

_I crept through the halls, active camo running as I slipped into the Admiral's temporary quarters.  
__I had been assigned to help with the repairs seeing as I was an engineer, and ONI already had a cover story for why I went rogue. Something about mental issues._

_The irony of that was too hard not to ignore._

_I sat in wait, letting the active camo recharge as I waited for the Admiral to enter. It would be within a few minutes; lights out for the station was in fifteen minutes.  
__I heard shoes clacking against the metal floor. I cloaked and waited as the footsteps passed._

_Wait._

_A second set of footsteps, much quieter and trailing behind._

_The door slid open and I readied my combat knife. The suppressed Magnum was still not perfectly quiet, and the neighboring rooms might hear.  
__Admiral Kovac walked in, laying his cap on the table and began undressing._

_The second his door closed and locked, I decloaked and snuck up behind him, knocking him out.  
__Easy. Now to relocate him to one of the maintenance tunnels' dead ends.  
__Hauling his body, I used the cyberwarfare unit I had been gifted by ONI, keeping all the nearby surveillance disabled or disrupted._

_Coming to an intersection, I heard a patrol walking down the hallway._

_Shit._

_Leaving the unconscious admiral propped up against the wall, I cloaked and snuck around the patrol._

_The maintenance tunnel access was around the corner, but the patrol was going to discover the Admiral the second they walked around the corner._

_Non-lethal takedowns._

_One of them said they had to go to the bathroom, and they ran off.  
__Perfect._

_Take the one guard still standing, knock him out. Take his ammo, and prop him up so he looks like he fell asleep.  
__The other guard came back, rifle up and steadily walking towards his unconscious buddy._

_Knock him out as well, and grab his MA5B.  
__Place him against the wall as well, both set to look as if they fell asleep.  
__Grab the Admiral, haul him through the maintenance tunnels._

_Coming to a dead end very far in, I drop the Admiral and leave a waypoint on his location.  
__I go off to grab some padding and swipe some spare paneling.  
__Get to work making the outside of the little alcove look like it is flush with the wall and pad the inside to muffle any screams._

_The Admiral starts waking up.  
__"Ugh...What happened?"_

_"Ah, Admiral Kovac. Honestly, I'd say you've been very lucky. I mean, you've managed to avoid any major engagements with the Covenant and avoided being caught. Well, your little side project ends now."_

_"I...I have no idea what you're talking about." He stammered, finally taking in the Mjolnir._

_"Funny. I happen to know you are selling out to the Insurrection and that your data pad here is very incriminating. Tsk tsk. Very sloppy." I said, raising the data pad as his eyes widened._

_"Wha...Even if I am exposed, the rest of my cell will go into hiding. You can't beat us."_

_"You let me worry about that. You should worry about what will happen to you."_

_"You'll never get anything out of-Augh!" He shouted in pain, as I slammed my combat knife through his leg._

_"I don't need you. If you give nothing up, I'll just interrogate the few you compromised from this data pad. So nice of you to provide so much information."_

_"No…"_

_"It would be such a shame, considering most of your family is in on this as well. In fact, one Sergeant Maria Kovac of the UNSC Marine Corp is about to be deployed to a Covenant combat zone. It would sure be a shame if she were to be sent on a suicide mission, wouldn't it?" I lilted, crouching down as my Grenadier knee guards ground against my knees. Damn things never quite fit right._

_"You wouldn't dare! The Covenant have us on the backfoot! There wouldn't be anything worth doing that for!"_

_"Oh, it wouldn't be that hard. Tell them to hold a position for long enough until your daughter is dead from the combat and then tell them to pull out or provide reinforcements."_

_"Tell those ONI fucks to go to hell!"_

_I laughed, firing the suppressed Magnum at his kneecap._

The interrogation had lasted hours…

Wait. What time is it?

I had grabbed a chair and Kat's Magnum, hiding myself in my closet during my flashback.  
This was new. I had flashbacks often but never had I tried recreating the scene while in one.

_The Admiral lay against the bulkhead, battered and bruised. I moved him back to his quarters, and shot him in the head.  
__I walked out, clearly showing myself and walking down to the hangar._

_When I arrived at the hangar, I 'stole' a Prowler that ONI had set aside for me, it was loaded with a bunch of ammo.  
__And of course, a few 'stolen prototypes lost in transport' from ONI. How kind of them._

_Easing the Prowler out of the Hangar, I flew to a safe distance and entered slipspace.  
__I was gone before they knew what happened. Of course, surveillance footage would suggest I went rogue; killing the Admiral and running._

The sun had long set now; and I found myself outside, standing before the cabin.  
Something cold in my hands...

I looked down, and I saw Noble's dog tags.  
My vision blurred, and I sank to my knees, looking to the stars.

They held no answers.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 21, 2553**_

_**0600 Hours**_

_**Winter Schnee**_

I woke up in Six's guest bedroom, the sun not up yet.

I opened the blinds to find Six outside, in a crumpled pile with something in his hands.  
Savage idiot. Sleeping outside vulnerable to Grimm when he had a perfectly safe house.

I figured it wouldn't do for a fellow member of Ozpin's Inner Circle to be killed off; especially one as important as Six.  
Getting dressed, I walked down the stairs and out the door.

Six was laying on the ground, face up.  
Was he dead?

I kicked him to make sure.  
He shot up, fists up and turned towards me.  
"Oh. Sorry. Used to sleeping in hostile environments. Not used to being woken up by a friendly." He apologized, looking down at his hands. "Hmph." He said, tucking the metal object in his hands back in his pockets.

"What were you doing out here?! I understand you aren't quite used to modern comforts, but would it trouble you to sleep inside the cabin?!" I shouted at him, seeing he was alright.

"Sleepless night. Apparently you haven't heard of it."

"Well it looks to me as if you got all the sleep you needed! You weren't even carrying weapons! The Grimm would have killed you instantly!"

"Winter, I used to kill things for a living. I have single handedly destroyed…" Six started counting. "Uh; there were the three at Algolis, the two at Ballast...I've destroyed about 23 tanks on my own with no support, Winter. And those tanks were backed by infantry that I had a specialty for beating the shit out of." He yawned. "Now, I'm actually going to go sleep in my room."

I sighed. "This is not the time for slacking, it's literally six in the morning!"

He glanced down at his unique wrist mounted Scroll. "So it is. Still tired, and I'm supposed to get back to work tomorrow…"

"You dumbass! The flight takes hours in your special airships and it takes days with even the fastest Atlesian ones! We need to go today!" I shouted at him, taking a page from his book and adding expletives.

That seemed to wake him up. "Oh, shit. Alright; I'll cook breakfast. You just get your stuff ready and we'll set off once we finish eating." He ran inside, presumably to grab his things.  
I walked back into my room and spotted Six in the kitchen, tossing something into a box and pressing several buttons on it. It was...humming?

I would have to ask what the metal objects were, but that was a question for later.  
I packed my items and sat down at the couch, waiting for Six to appear from the kitchen.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 21, 2553**_

_**0630 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I had decided to use some relatively old tech, a microwave; to make some quick food.  
Winter would probably bitch about it, but it's quick and easy. I ran upstairs and grabbed my jacket and weapons.  
Easy. I went back down the stairs, as Winter seemed confused.

"Are you not cooking?" She asked, confused.

"I'm letting the machines do the work. It's basic, but...It gets the job done."  
Winter seemed both intrigued and concerned at the fact that a machine made food that she would have to eat.

I pulled out two really basic scrambled eggs and bacon in containers and handed one to Winter, passing her a disposable fork.  
"Again, sorry about the quality, but you can eat it on the way there, and toss the container and fork afterwards." I said, summoning the Pelican after I wolfed down my breakfast.

I tossed the container and fork in the recycling port and began the pre-flight checks.  
"Six...It's still early…" Winter trailed off as I began toggling switches and engaging the engines.

"Eh, you can get to your business sooner. Now come on, hop in and bring the robots." I said, walking back into the pilot's seat.  
Usually these things require two pilots, but my upgraded neural implant let me do a lot. Normal Spartans could operate most vehicles entirely on their own, but with my Forerunner upgrades, I could do quite a bit more.

Winter and her automated escort walked onboard, and we took off.

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**January 21, 2553**_

_**0945 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"And we're here." I said, swinging the Pelican around as Ironwood walked up to the pad.

"Excellent. You two, follow me to my office."  
We followed him onto the elevator and we stood around in the elevator as we ascended.

"So, what's the emergency now?" I asked, tapping at my TacPad.

"Ozpin hasn't given me any information. Nothing about what I need to do to help in the fight against Salem; even with your information." Ironwood said, clearly agitated.

"Well, I do know the list of priorities we need to deal with on the Atlas end." I said, with Winter again remaining silent.

"That can be handled. We need to talk about this year's Vytal Festival. As you may know, Atlas is hosting it this year. Are you familiar with the details?" Ironwood asked, as Winter kept pace with us, entering Ironwood's office.

"Winter, I'll need your local knowledge to fill in any gaps I have; and I'll need a map and timeline from you, Ironwood. With that information, I can try to station our security in a minimalist but effective stance. Nothing is supposed to happen this year." I said.

"Good. You say the 40th is the one to worry about?" Ironwood continued, sitting down at his desk and typing at the computer.

"Yes. That's the one where Salem's group infiltrates Beacon under the guise of transfer students and they orchestrate the fall of Beacon." I said, recalling the significant events. "I'd honestly like to ask if I can transfer jobs to become a training instructor for the Atlesian armed forces. Unfortunately, I have a feeling that training Atlesian forces won't be as much help as revamping your code and firewalls."

"You mentioned that. Arthur Watts infiltrates our security?"

"An infiltrator uploads a virus most likely made by him into Beacon's network, and accesses the Atlesian fleet and everything else in Vale. He also circumvents every security measure in Atlas, engineering a PR nightmare and engineering a major Grimm attack on the Kingdom." I responded. "If the entirety of ONI was brought over, this whole thing would be even easier…" I grumbled.

"ONI?" Winter asked.

"Office of Naval Intelligence. Imagine Ozpin's inner circle, but holding hundreds of people and backed by an interstellar government. Hell, the whole thing was so covered in black ink it was easier to figure out where they were by the black ink than by the official documentation." I said, remembering my time as a 'HeadHunter'. "You might like it, Ironwood. There was a program; the HeadHunters. Spartans like me deployed in pairs to complete secretive missions. Most of them worked behind enemy lines, assassinating key targets and crippling supply lines. Other times, they were deployed to hold a certain area. Might want a separate team for operations like that, sir."

"A good idea. I shall consider it. And as to my offer?"

"I'm not sure. I can definitely provide transport, maybe training, but anything else might be a stretch considering my job as the combat teacher here."

"Well considering how many things you've shown the students, you're no longer working as a combat teacher. You'll finish the year and you'll be treated as a Specialist, acting as a subordinate to Commander Schnee here."  
I was stunned. I was now considered under Winter? And she has the rank of Commander?

Well, shit.  
"Of course, I do respect your need for some operational freedom and as such, you are going to be assigned to my new team of Ace Operatives. They're being assembled, but I think you can help them transition into being a team." Ironwood continued.

This was just like when Colonel Holland assigned me to Noble team. Funny how Kat or Carter never bothered to ask why I was declared as rogue for a while.  
Six months. Six long, grueling months of being declared a traitor and being hunted down by my fellow brothers and sisters from the Spartan program.

"I can train them, but that's it. I'll stay as a private consultant for Atlas. I could do with the free time, anyways."  
Walking out of the office, I descended in the elevator.

I had a visit to make.

* * *

_**A/N: First off; I figured I would address the music issue again(sorry for another "poll" so soon, but there are a few debates I had with myself when making this). An example is below. After will come the answering of comments. The example will be formatted differently for convenience.**_

* * *

**Readying an SRS-99 I found, I crouched down and took aim. Scrolling through my HUD, I managed to find my ancient music player's controls; selecting a classic rock song.**  
**"Damn things...Aim's never quite right whenever I fire these things…" I grumble as I line up my first shot with an Elite's head. The Elite's head exploded in a mist of purple as the Grunts ran for cover; with the song's notes beginning to swell. Redirecting my aim to a new target, I found a squad of Jackal snipers. I let free with my rifle, quickly running dry 3 mags as the Jackal squad went down. A Brute decided he had had enough and charged me; yelling all the while.**

**"Shit, I didn't sign up to be no matador!" I joked, swinging the sniper around as I emptied the mag, with all four bullets finally putting the brute down. The music began to reach a climax, rising and lowering in tone.**

**_Another one bites the dust!  
__Another one down, and another one gone, and another one bites the dust!_**

**"Coulda swore I aimed for the head…"**  
**Swapping mags, I noted it was my second to last mag.**

**"Better make it count...On second thought;" I said, curiously while ripping the scope off the SRS-99.**  
**"How's this handle?" I asked myself as I flicked the rifle towards a squad of Elites charging me, pulling the trigger three times. My jaw dropped as the three shots tore through all 7 Elite's heads, creating a spray of purple blood.**

**"Seriously? That's the reason why? Goddamnit." I gripe to myself while fighting off the encroaching Covenant forces. It was at that point I saw a large glob of blue plasma arc through the sky.**

**"A fuckin' Wraith, huh?! Bring it on!" I shouted as I fired my last round and tossed the sniper for a M45 shotgun. I began running for the Wraith, blasting my way through Covenant forces as Elites and Brutes tried to block me, Grunts and Jackals tried to nick me from afar, and other Grunts were just running. My shields flared at each shot, but I shrugged it all off and kept going. The Wraith came onto the scene, running over several of its own. The gunner opened fire, and my shields broke. Having enough, I tossed a plasma grenade right into the Wraith's plasma cannon and kicked off the front of the vehicle, giving the Grunt gunner a faceful of pellets. Dashing for my defences, I picked up one of the turrets and fired until the magazine ran out; culling the enemies like a scythe to wheat. I picked up a Spartan Laser and aimed at a Phantom flitting about, trying to drop off troops. The weapon emitted a loud whine, then the ruby red laser flashed out; slamming into the dropship. The music faded into silence.**

* * *

_**And now; comments:**_

_**Sm0keyPanda- Yup, this story is partially self-aware and isn't afraid to poke fun at the stupidity of the situation. I believe a certain quote(that hasn't popped up yet? Not sure; this chapter is huge anyways) went "I better not be a fucking main character." The humor will never die.**_

_**Halofan2117- That's a great idea! I planned for something similar to occur much much later down the line, but the idea of the main group themselves finding one would be interesting.**_

_**SortaCats- Sorry if it's a little jarring, but I don't want to spend one or two paragraphs hinting or giving a mini-exposition dump. Figure it was better to avoid the possibility of rambling about the scenery or whose perspective it is all together. On the topic of sociable Spartan IIIs, Six is...definitely a special case. I have a few tabs on psychology open so I can have help understanding his behavior and how his personality would be affected.**_

_**Thanks for commenting, your criticisms are really appreciated, they help me shape the story better and decide if some parts really should go or should be kept.**_


	11. Deleted Scenes: Kevin's a Nice Guy

_**A/N: *Gasp* Not an April Fool's joke?!  
What nonsense is this?!**_

_**Nah, figured for the sake of comedy I'd add in a deleted scene(removed due to timeline confusion and because I'm pretty sure I started accidentally writing Kevin as a love interest at some point).**_

_**Don't ask. I said I just write along the flow of the story, and it becomes a very slippery slope when writing like that.**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**August 14, 2553**_

_**0758 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"Markus, is that such a good idea?" Kevin looked at the makeshift alcohol nervously.

"You're not going to drink it. And don't worry, I can mostly handle it." I said, waving him off as I poured pure ethanol in and stirred it with some juice.

"I mean is it such a good idea to get yourself wasted in front of the students?"

"Kevin; this is the anniversary of the death of a close comrade. If I don't get myself wasted, how else am I supposed to cope?" I shot back, sighing all the while. The drink wasn't quite right yet; so I sprinkled some of that sour stuff from way back when. 'Kool Aid Powder'; they called it. Not sure why. Gave quite the kick, though.

"Uh...If you want me to take over I can…" Kevin started.

"No, I'll do it; just, stop me if I get off track." I said, shaking the drink and adding a few more ice cubes to it.

That was when the students began to file in.  
"Ah, students! I am honoring a very important date to me today; so forgive me if I seem a bit...Distracted. Now, let's begin."

After a bit, time began to blur together. The students still were paying attention, as I stumbled around the room.  
"So, can aannywoone teell me wuhhy w-wwee aalwaays ch-check our suurooundiings?"

Several hands raised.  
"Keeviin, caan you take this?" I slurred. He pointed at one and they answered.

While I was definitely tipsy, at least I hadn't blacked out yet.  
I sat down, to let myself sober up a little while Kevin took over for a bit.

The class went on, and my headache had subsided. I stood up; and the whole room spun.

Uh oh.

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**August 14, 2553**_

_**1115 Hours**_

_**Winter Schnee**_

I was walking down the halls and saw Six's classroom, and figured I could verbally spar with him and see how he was doing. After all; I hadn't seen him in a while and colleagues should check up on each other more often.  
Besides; he was like Qrow, but friendlier and more understanding.

I peeked through the window just in time to watch Six collapse to the floor, with his teaching assistant and the class looking concerned.  
What in the Gods was he doing?

"Well students, I believe you should maintain your weapons. I know you haven't been able to do that in a while, so the rest of the time is workshop time." His teaching assistant said before hurrying over the Six's body, splayed out on the floor.  
He nudged Six several times before rolling him over and turning his head to the side.

I kept watching and called Ironwood.  
"Yes, Commander Schnee?"

"General, Six appears unwell."

"What makes you say that?" He sounded concerned now.

"Well, I was going to check in on him and I just watched him pass out on the floor in his classroom."

"What? I'll get the medical personnel." He sighed.

That was when Dr. Polendina appeared.  
"How is our colleague?" He asked.

"Wait; why are you here in Atlas Academy?" I turned towards the scientist.

"Well, the General had me install some equipment. I was going to see if our colleague could assist me with the installation."

"I believe he is currently unable to do that…"

Six; what have you done now?

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**August 14, 2553**_

_**1215 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

My head...It hurt like hell…

I felt myself being lifted up.  
Where was I?

We were delivering a bomb; right?  
My vision was still so blurred; I couldn't tell what was going on.

I must have been hit by a Fuel-Rod Gun or something.  
"Jorge; what are you doing?" I managed to slur out, as I felt metal rub against my skin. I must have taken a hell of a hit if my skin was exposed.

"What happened to my Mjolnir?" I was being leaned against something.

"Are you alright?"

"You know it, buddy." I coughed out; my vision slowly starting to clear. "Sure gave those Covvie bastards hell; huh? That's what they get for messin' with Reach!"

Wait...This wasn't a Covenant Cruiser.  
"_We all make it sooner or later. Better get going, Six, They're gonna need you down there…"_

My vision grew clearer and I saw the ceiling of the classroom.  
"Markus; are you alright?"

"Meg fogom számolni…_(I'll make it count)_" I muttered in Hungarian.  
Never did get the chance to tell Jorge I knew Hungarian, too. ONI required quite a diverse skill-set back in those days…

"Markus; what are you saying? Are you ok?" Winter was standing over me, nudging me to see if I was okay. Kevin had backed off, and was watching the event go down. Dr. Polendina was in his moving chair, watching with bemused concern.

The alcohol definitely had not worn off yet, but it was starting to subside. This would probably be paired with a hellish hangover; but I could deal with it.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Just toasting to a friend." I said as Ironwood burst in with a medical team at his heels.

"Markus. You really shouldn't give us a scare like that."

Winter turned to him. "Sir; it would appear he tried to get himself drunk."

"In class? Markus; if you need a day off, just ask. I can arrange it if you need it."

"I'm alright. Was just honoring a brother in arms." I said, to which Ironwood nodded.

"Do you require assistance?"

I hauled myself up, and immediately regretted it.  
The world spun again, but I held onto the desk to keep myself from stumbling about.

"No; I'm good. I just need a moment."

"Markus, you really shouldn't get wasted on the job." Kevin said to me flatly.

"Well, you should have seen the first time I got wasted! That was more fun than this…" I groaned, placing a hand on my forehead.

"I think we all agree with your assistant. You really shouldn't get wasted on the job." Ironwood said, with everyone nodding, even the medical team.

"Well at least I didn't try to launch a car this time…"

"You what?!" Winter exclaimed.

"Remind me never to let you get drunk." Ironwood chuckled, before dismissing the medical team. "I'll be headed back up to my office."  
Well, I mean; it could have been worse.

Right?

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**August 14, 2553**_

_**1658 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The students filed in, with Winter and Dr. Polendina walking out of the door.

Kevin looked at me as I reached for the glass again.  
"Please; not for a few hours at least. You're going to cause an incident again." He sighed, to which I shrugged and turned to the class.

"Students! Class is now in session." I declared as the bell rang.

And so the time passed; with me teaching and Kevin taking a break from my antics.  
I checked the time; it was almost 5:00 PM Atlas time.

"And with that, you may prepare to head for your dorms." I said, taking a swig of my drink again.  
There was still plenty to go; and I had no intention of wasting a single drop.

"Kevin, you are a godsend; you know that? You really should get a raise for putting up with me." I remarked, downing the remainder of the drink like it was a shot.

"I'm still paid the normal amount a TA is paid."

"Really? Not a teacher's salary?" The alcohol had begun to set in.

"Yes. Not a teacher's salary." Kevin answered as I passed out at my desk.

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**August 14, 2553**_

_**2031 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I woke again; this time facedown on my desk.

Maybe I shouldn't drink on the job. At least, not the heavy stuff.  
But, that was the bare minimum to get me tipsy.

I just chugged a lot of the stuff in one sitting.

The sun had long set, and I was still here in the building.  
Groaning; I hauled myself up and out of my seat. I stumbled out the classroom door and locked it behind me.

The school was probably locked up by now. How the fuck do I get out?

I felt sore all over; and flashes of a fiery rain on Reach kept coming back.

_I limped over to the Reentry Unit and grabbed the Magnum.  
__That is probably why atmospheric reentry isn't a good idea when Mjolnir isn't rated for it.  
__I limped back over to the crest of the hill; and looked up._

_The Covenant SuperCarrier lay on the mountains, burning and destroyed.  
__I checked the TacPad as the remains kept falling from the sky._

_Jorge's words echoed through my mind.  
_'_Beautiful, ain't it? Someone should take a picture.'_

_New Alexandria wasn't that far.  
__A week or so's travel through wilderness._

I leaned against a wall and pulled out Jorge's dog tags.  
Dammit; did that makeshift bomb not have a fuse?  
Could have tried to hijack a couple Banshees or something…

My fist tightened and I tucked Jorge's tags away.

This world wouldn't fall like Reach. No matter the cost.  
I had enough information and resources to counter the enemy's every move.

There would be no excuse for failure this time around.

* * *

_**A/N: Technically more development for Six, but it's actually all the development for Kevin I tossed out.**_

_**Kevin is a good friend. Not many people would put up with shenanigans like that.  
**__**And since most of Six's shenanigans are a more extreme extension of the shit I do; I'd like to thank my real life friends for putting up with my shit.**_

_**Now; answering your comments!**_

* * *

_**Sm0keyPanda- Thanks.**_

_**John Lenard- No problem, I can understand you not liking it. I did put a warning up in the description, though. Guess it's not as clear as I thought.**_

_**Halofan2117- Well, you've been responded to now. It was a good idea, and I can guarantee you most writers use a similar tactic of 'Sprinkle in some detail and watch your audience plot it for you'. I'm not(planning) on using such a method, but I am not opposed to incorporating suggested ideas I think would mix up the story.  
**_

* * *

_**Man, somehow COVID break is both boring and 'CHAOS EVERYWHERE!' at the same time. School is canceled(indefinitely? I don't know) so there's time for me to write more; but at the same time all my teachers are going "Online classes!" and the platform they chose is not the most user-friendly.**_

_**Anyways; have fun.**_

_**The deleted scenes thing might not be an April Fool's special; and instead just one that I occasionally do for "advanced shitposting".**_

_**Oh well.**_

_**See ya!**_


	12. Of Ice and Code

_**A/N: There was something mushy about me and all that, but I've finally gotten my mental filter back on.**_

_**Enjoy.**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**January 21, 2553**_

_**1100 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"Hello Doctor."

"Ah, Six. I've managed to integrate the AI, but we've tried mixing some Aura with it and it stabilized."

"That's certainly interesting. May I take a look?"

The terminal lit up as the holoprojector was taken over by the AI.  
"Hello? Where am I? Who am I?" The AI asked. It had a vaguely female avatar, but it seemed very confused.

"You've managed to make a metastable AI...You've managed to make a breakthrough where no other scientist has; from where I come from." I said, marveling at a first for known Human history.

"Well, Atlas didn't hire me for nothing." Polendina remarked.

"Atlas does have quite the eye for talent. Ironwood really is good when it comes to picking people for their skill."  
"Unfortunately, this is not my area of expertise... Fascinating however…" I said, looking at it's-no, her code. "Got a name for her in mind? I don't have any previous ones; her chip was incompatible with my armor." I actually planned to possibly integrate a small compartment in my armor that would allow for AI compatibility, but it would be difficult. I could rip the port from the broken helmet, but I still needed to find a place it could be put without compromising the armor.

"I was thinking...Penny. And the process of transferring Aura is too complicated, I could do it; but the life support systems required would be too extensive…" Polendina said.

"I have technology for that. Take a look at the Cryotube. Uses chemicals I should be able to get my hands on; if not then I'll have to pop by to maintain it every now and again, but the systems should be able to hold for several years, if maintained and used properly. Capable of suspending animation. You go in, pop out after some time and it's like no time passed for you."

"Marvelous. Perhaps we can integrate the technologies?"

"Just what I was thinking." I smiled. "Let's get to work."

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas, Above Solitas**_

_**January 22, 2553**_

_**1735 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The door to my provided apartment slid open, and I went to sit down at my desk. Today had been a long day of teaching-

Something was off…  
I looked closer at my duffle bag that I had brought with me.

Someone had disturbed it. Recently.

I made sure my weapons were on me and I began looking through the footage of the hidden security camera footage on the computer at the desk. I had used Kat's Nephilim virus to establish a firewall of sorts; Kat had programmed it to infiltrate and defend against any threats, so any infiltration would provide me a backdoor but protect any system it got into. No hack attempts, but the footage showed a cloaked figure placing something in my bag.

That's bad. They didn't take anything, but the duffle bag was rifled through. Good thing it only had rations and some tools.  
They had placed a motion sensor to track my movements. Easy fix.

I grabbed my tools from my bag and found the motion sensor, half hidden in the door frame.  
I pried off the casing, and inverted the sensor, so that it was facing itself. That way, I could come and go as I pleased without their knowledge. Next was to figure out who would do this and why.

I had heard word of Roman Torchwick and his sidekick making a splash in the news recently as highly successful thieves.  
Cinder Fall already had some of her forces in play, but she would grab up Torchwick and the White Fang soon.

I could wipe out those pieces now, and risk something unexpected happening; or I could let them exhaust themselves at the Fall of Beacon.

My TacPad beeped as I placed the casing back on the motion sensor.

**Incoming Call:  
Qrow**

I accepted the call, washing my hands and putting away my tools.  
"Hey; what is it?"

"Oz wants to talk. Personally."

"I'll arrange a few things and make my way over." I sighed, this was going to take up most of my day.

I grabbed my stuff and locked the door. Proceeding to the elevator, I stepped in and the elevator doors slid closed.  
The doors slid open as I reached the ground floor, and I stepped out.

The city was peaceful, but it was usually raining. The few times it wasn't, it meant the heat grid had malfunctioned or there was a rare dry season.

As always, my energy shield was completely useless at keeping me dry, and I didn't carry an umbrella.

The grey sky loomed overhead, and the streets bustled with people. I shuffled through the crowds, and made my way to Atlas Academy.  
The school was quiet, and the guards there nodded as I flashed my ID at the front gate.

So far, I had been lucky not to have to deal with the major players in Atlas besides Ironwood. The Atlas council, Robyn Hill and her 'Happy Huntresses', and Jacques Schnee hadn't caught wind of me yet; but if things continued, they probably would.

If Ironwood approved the HeadHunters descendant program, I would most likely be kept secret from them.  
Either that or Jacques would manage to get word of the program's and my existence, then twist Ironwood's arm to the point that we basically become low-level mercenaries.

Even ONI treated me better.

Approaching one of the school's landing pads, I summoned the Pelican and stepped in.  
The Mjolnir flashed in around me, and I sat down in the pilot's seat.  
And to think I preferred recon missions.

I took off for Beacon.

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**January 22, 2553**_

_**2100 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"What do you mean I'm to be transferred to Beacon Academy?!"

"It means that Ironwood has offered to hand you over to me once the semester is over, where you will then begin assisting the staff here with our various issues."  
"What's the real reason behind this Oz?" I sighed.

"Amber has been attacked again. She was able to fight them off, but they put her into a critical condition. None of her Maiden powers have been stolen, but it will doubtlessly transfer to her attacker."

"It was the same group again?" I asked, to which Ozpin nodded.

"Indeed. Our medical staff have had to put her in a coma to keep her relatively stable, but she is rapidly deteriorating."

"I can keep her stable for as long as needed, but it's still in the prototype phase."

"James has already sent me one of them. I simply require someone capable of maintaining it."  
Goddammit.  
At least now I didn't have a four hour commute, I guess.

"I'll finish up my work at Atlas."  
Great. There better not be some bullshit where I turn out to be a main character or some shit.

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**February 1, 2553**_

_**1100 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

It was finally time for the practical applications. Obviously, the practical applications were done every now and again; I just wasn't informed of it.

The one on one spars were done, and now the class had moved onto team sparring.  
Currently, Team ROYL was facing off against Team WHTE. ROYL was losing, bad.

I mean, they had almost zero team composition; they had all just collectively decided to attack.  
They didn't even have the bright idea of all attacking at once.  
Even Grunts were smarter and harder to beat. And last I checked those guys were basically druggies sent into combat with big-ass air tanks.

Yeah, this team would need some work.  
In fact, were they...actively sabotaging each other?

Team WHTE won handily, and both teams stepped out of the arena.

"Now; Team ROYL. That was a spectacular show! Of disappointment. I couldn't believe the complete lack of cohesion your team had. It's been almost an entire semester and your team hasn't begun working together one bit." I sighed, this team had been a mess from the start and they had made no moves to improve. "Now Team WHTE. You performed well, although your opponent made that quite easy. So; to truly test your skills, you'll be paired against another team."

"Uh, their Aura hasn't regenerated yet…" Kevin remarked.

"All the more challenging! After all; there will come times you are unable to prepare. This should be a good test of your skills, Team WHTE. Your sparring partners are…" I watched as the randomizer spun and selected a new team. "Team BRAZ! Get your weapons and ready up. Match begins in two."  
The teams ran to their places in the arena, grabbing their combat attire and weapons.

They squared off as I counted down the seconds.  
"Three."

The teams both tensed up, weapons at the ready.  
"Two."

"One."  
Muscles twitched, and the Aura counters flashed up on the screen.

"Go!"  
They launched off, some falling back to engage from farther away while the melee fighters rushed in.

When the teams finished fighting, I applauded them.  
"That was a great performance from both teams. Team WHTE was able to pull through despite being at a disadvantage; but Team BRAZ put up quite the fight. Take notes, students; take notes." I said, spinning the randomizer again.

"Now, Teams JADE and SKYE; you're up. Remember students; every match is recorded and available via the online resources Atlas Academy provides via the CCTS."

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**February 5, 2553**_

_**0900 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"So, I want surveillance and guards to be stationed at these places, with random patrol change times."

"Some are going to complain about this. They are going to want equal hours."

"Tell them it's volunteer based, and they'll all be paid proportionate overtime or something."

"What about Atlas and Mantle?"

"For Atlas, set up some point defense turrets. Subtle placements, keep them hidden until we really need them. Mantle, up the security. Figure we could try and deploy a few prototypes. I want most of our hand kept from play; we'll need the element of surprise if anyone attacks. And especially for the next one." Winter nodded in understanding at that. Although she may not speak much when in a meeting with the higher-ups, she understands it. "We also get plains-clothes people in the crowds, have them keep an eye out for trouble."

"And if there are incidents?"

"Nearby security is to respond, but if they request assistance, we deploy the people in reserve to deal with it."

"Major incidents?"

"Then we get to field test the Drop Pods. I really do hope the soldiers have been trained for it."

"Only the simulator so far. Live simulation would compromise the secrecy and frankly, the pods are far too expensive to use on a training exercise."

"Well, just don't tell them the percentage of death. Instead, start up the program for the 'HellJumpers'. Got that back in the 'ol UNSC. Best of the best, second only to a Spartan."

"So...We replace the word Spartan with Specialist?"

"Yeah; sure. Seems that way, anyways. Just make it seem cool and offer more pay. You are paying them to drop from near orbit in what amounts to a metal coffin; after all."

"When you put it like that the job sounds insane."

"That's because it kind of is. It's pretty fun, though."

"You've done it before?!"

"You're surprised at a lot of the things I do."

"Because only an insane person would...do that."

"Oh, I'm sorry; did we not already establish I'm basically mentally unstable?"

"Why are you so nonchalant about it?!"

"Because this is how I was raised. Didn't have much to work with."

"You were raised to become a mentally unstable soldier?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"Must you always speak in half-truths?!" Winter exclaimed in frustration as I placed a few more patrol slots on the schedule.

"Perhaps." Chuckling, I ducked as an icicle flew over my head.  
She was definitely pissed off.

* * *

_**Remnant, Mantle, Solitas**_

_**March 17, 2553**_

_**1100 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Goddamnit. Penny was ready, but we hadn't made her body out of Titanium Alloy.

So of course, 'Uncle Markus' is sent to watch over her to keep her out of trouble.

"Remember Penny; your stronger weapons and body are still being worked on, don't get into any trouble."

"But I'm combat ready!"

"You may be able to hold your own in combat, but the upgrades will guarantee your safety, as much as I can. What did Pietro tell you?"

"Father said that I am to stay out of trouble!"

"Yes, and we want to avoid trouble; alright?"

"Indeed, Uncle!" She was so bubbly and pure, most Marines would probably die for her.

"Heh, that's the spirit. I know you don't quite understand everything, but I'll show you around the place and explain a few things." Chuckling, I led her to the fairgrounds by Atlas Academy.

* * *

_**Remnant, Amity Arena, Above Solitas**_

_**March 20, 2553**_

_**1300 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"Come on Uncle! We're going to be late for the next match!" Penny zipped off, dragging me along.

"Penny; please...Slow down!"

"But we'll miss the match!"

The energy shields were literally humming and flaring up now; as I tumbled through the corridors.

* * *

_**Remnant, Amity Arena, Above Solitas**_

_**March 20, 2553**_

_**1302 Hours**_

_**Winter Schnee**_

Weiss walked alongside me, as we talked in the corridors of Amity Arena.

Of course, Six was off on 'protection duty' according to General Ironwood, but I was given time off to reconnect with family.  
"So; how have your grades been?"

"They have been no less than what you expect of me. I have been training up for a long time."

"Are you being treated well by Father?"

"Yes." That was suspicious. Father never treats people who rebel against him nicely.

"Be careful, I know you want to go to Beacon, but Father is going to-"

Something multicolored zipped past me, while Weiss scowled.  
"Ugh; hooligans."

"Winter heeeelllpp!" The 'hooligans' that had rushed past cried out.

"How do they know your name?" Shrugging, I placed a hand on Weiss' shoulder.

"I don't know, but I figured I would embody my colleague somewhat today and simply say 'Not my problem'. After all, it is my day off." Weiss smiled at that.

* * *

_**Remnant, Amity Arena, Above Solitas**_

_**March 20, 2553**_

_**1305 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The crowd roared as the match grew more intense.  
"And there goes Miss Jack!"

Penny was watching intently, it was almost unsettling how still she was.

I may have planned to crash the tournament, but that would be robbing a team of their deserved place. Actually, I could just spar people back at Atlas and stuff.

That would be a fun way to let them get 'extra credit'. Let me unwind, possibly involve Kevin if he felt up to it; and we could-well; I could beat the shit out of the students without needing a reason to call it 'discipline'. Either way, doesn't feel right to beat a child for misbehaving.

Spartans had rougher treatment, but they were no Spartans.

Maybe I could ask Ironwood or Ozpin to let me be part of the team escorting Penny for the next Vytal Festival.  
Wear the armor, use the voice changer, all the cloak-and-dagger tools.  
Actually, the cyberwarfare unit scrubs me from any electronic feeds; would it just look like people are getting their ass beat by some invisible thing?

Something to try, just to mess with people.

The match ended, and a new one began.  
Wait. Winter was here with Weiss, I saw them earlier; where were they at?

Scanning the crowd for bright white, nothing matched.  
Where did they run off to?

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**March 23, 2553**_

_**0500 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Getting up and doing my daily exercise routine, my TacPad counted the seconds.

Slowly getting back in Spartan shape. Hard to maintain, but it was worth it.

"Hello Uncle Six. Why are you up so early? The tournament is not for: Fourteen thousand, four hundred seconds."

"Wow, you uh...need to work on converting to the common units."

"Do people not measure everything in seconds?"

"No, we use hours and minutes. A lot of stuff must have been lost when Pietro added his Aura to your AI chip."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you used to be something or someone else. You weren't 'Penny'. You were a different person, and you were…" How would I put it? "Dying; in a way. You've come to be very lucky, Penny. You managed to avoid a terrible death not once, but twice."

"And how is that?"

"The kind of AI you were before...They could die, just like normal people."

"That sounds terrible." Penny seemed horrified at that.

"Well, the process wasn't perfect. But Penny, Aura fixed that. That Aura, it makes you human in a way; your lifespan is extended, and it's made you a new person. You had a person who trusted you with their life, and you made years of memories with them and others."

"I...Don't recall any of this."

"Your previous self might have lost all those 'memories'; but it has given you the chance to be a new person." Finishing the last lap, I motioned to Penny. "Come on, I'm done exercising. We can head back to the dorms and wait for breakfast to be announced."

* * *

_**Remnant, Amity Arena, Above Solitas**_

_**March 23, 2553**_

_**0720 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"So, I trust you can handle yourself. I'm supposed to watch you, but I can give you some space if you'd like."

"Really? That'd be great Uncle!" Penny cheerfully bubbled. Honestly, I don't think I could say no to her if I tried.

"Of course, I'll still be nearby if you need help, I'll just be hanging back a little bit more. Think you're up to it?"

"Yes, I would love to make friends and meet new people!"

"Well, in that case, I think I could stand to...hasten some events." If Ruby and Yang were here for her to meet that is. If not, then Weiss would work; too.  
I really need to get around to teaching Ruby how to use the energy sword I gave her.

"Really? What events are being hastened?"

"Well, I just happen to have a large amount of foresight, and I think an early introduction couldn't hurt."

"Who are we meeting? This is so exciting! My first friend!"

"Heh, that depends on who I can find."

Conveniently, Winter walked by; a tray full of food in her hands.  
"Oh, hey Winter! Thought I saw you last week at the Arena." She turned, surprise on her face as she looked over Penny.

"Hello. Markus. And who is this?"

"Well, this is Penny. I'm her 'Uncle'." I said, making air quotes at the family role I was given.

"Didn't you help create me?" Penny asked.

"That answer changes depending on how you view it."

Winter looked even more confused. "This is the person the General is having you protect?"

"Yes." Both Penny and I answered in unison.  
"And hey, you think Weiss would mind making a new friend?"

"I would love to meet this 'Weiss' Markus speaks of!"  
I just sighed.

"Well, I do think Weiss could stand to branch out more. I can bring her over now if you'd like."

"I'm done eating. You're good, right Penny?"

"Of course! I would love to meet 'Potential Friend Weiss'!"  
I couldn't help but laugh at that.

Winter just glared at the two of us.  
"I-I'm sorry; but you-" I couldn't stop laughing. "You have to admit that was kinda funny."

* * *

_**A/N: So; if you couldn't tell I really could give less than two shits about what today's tradition is. Serious talk here.**_

_**Everything that goes on here is like a second or third draft.  
Mostly unedited, with just some formatting changes.**_

_**There is a reason why I asked for feedback so much before.**_

_**Seriously; thanks to everybody that even decided to give this story a chance.  
The things I do probably turn away a whole bunch of people; but I had written this as a proof-of-concept because I loved the idea of it and the ways other authors took it.**_

_**I wanted to put my own spin on it; and if it wasn't for the fact that I have an innate desire to entertain, this would have never seen the light of day except for my friends.**_

_**So for those who personally know the person behind this account; thank you. You helped me get this out there; encouraging me to let the story be seen.**_

_**Thanks, everybody. This is hard to type and not sound all mushy, but I don't think I would have done more than show it to a couple friends if you hadn't encouraged me to get it out there.**_

* * *

_**On another topic, I seriously would like to mention to anyone that saw the original versions of this chapter and the Deleted Scenes one, that I genuinely have no mental filter sometimes; and that I can just say stuff without realizing how stupid saying it is.**_

_**Maybe I shouldn't make these then immediately put them out there; huh?**_


	13. Ghosts of Fire and Steel

_**A/N: Look, my sleep schedule! Wait, it doesn't exist...  
Something to enjoy; while I go about trying to keep myself up for the third day in a row.**_

_**School work looms over my shoulder like a hulking giant as the deadlines draw near. Too bad I'm too good at procrastinating! My productivity only increases as the day draws nearer!**_

_**In this chapter:**_

_**More Penny(Absolutely precious, must protect); and the chapter title hints at something ominous...**__**  
**_

_**Oh no; there goes Six on his depression fueled rampage again...**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**March 23, 2553**_

_**0730 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"Is this all part of some plan of yours to help Ozpin win?" Winter asked as we watched Penny try to socialize.

"If I say no, are you going to try to kill me?"

"Why do you ask?" Winter was definitely reaching for her sword.

"Because it is partially 'part of the plan'. Thing is; uh…"

"Care to continue?"

"They're not supposed to meet for another year or two?"

"The fact that you thought this would be a good idea baffles me."

"Considering Penny needs friends and the fact that the only friend she does make is some shy weapons nerd back at Patch, I figured it wouldn't hurt to try."

"That sounds like a depressing life."

"Well; that and the fact that I have a soft spot for children."

"Didn't you use to slaughter misguided teenagers?"

"Hey, when the 'misguided teenagers' are bombing, assassinating, and killing thousands; people like me were assigned to deal with it. Still remember those days."

"You liked doing that stuff?"

"Who said it was fun work?"

"Fair enough."

Weiss was staying distant, but she was kind of warming up to the thought of a new friend.  
Penny was being Penny and honestly; it was kind of funny.

"Weiss, do you consider me to be a friend?"

"If I say yes, will you leave me alone?" Okay maybe she wasn't warming up as much as I thought.

I just looked at Winter and shrugged as she sighed. "I did consider this not working, but I honestly thought Weiss would be more...open."  
"She can be very reclusive."  
Penny and Weiss kept talking, although they might have finally hit it off.

Something about combat and music.

"So; why is Penny so important that Ironwood wants you to protect her?"

"That depends. What do you know about her?"

"I literally just met her today."

"Then, I don't think I'm able to say. However, there's more to her than just what you see."

"What does that even mean? Why are you getting to be so cryptic all of the sudden?"

"Eh, makes life more interesting. I figure I can give you a few hints and tidbits here and there, at least about the stuff that doesn't harm us."

"So you're now going to be trying to tell riddles?"

"No, I can't tell a good riddle for anything! That would be like telling a Marine to drive and expecting them to drive well!"

"What?"

"I let some Marine drive once while I was on the turret of a Warthog, he drove us off a cliff."

"That sounds...Unenjoyable."

"And everyone says Kat can't drive…" Throwing my hands up in frustration, Winter seemed confused.

"Who is Kat?"

"Noble-2; Catharine B-320. Spartan Three, Beta Company. Assigned under NavSpecWar, Group Three. Lost her right arm in the Battle of Fumirole. Declared MIA as of August 23rd, 2552…" I mumbled. She was the best Spartan in computers, she could get into almost any system.

"Six?"

"Wuh? Oh. Sorry. Spaced out for a moment. What did you say?"

"I asked you who Kat is and you just started mumbling."

"An old friend. Let's leave it at that."

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**March 23, 2553**_

_**0750 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"So, you two seem to be having something that amounts to fun."

"Yes! Friend Weiss has been telling me about her swordsmanship!" Penny bubbled.

"Actually, funny thing. How's the knife, Weiss?"

"It performs quite well; but it is far too short ranged for my taste." Pulling out the blade, Weiss showed it to Penny.

"Is that what my blades are going to be made of?" She said, her eyes scanning over the blade intensely.

"Heh, no. Yours are going to be Tungsten Carbide. Very tough materials that are significantly less likely to pierce straight through Aura." Penny, Winter, and Weiss seemed concerned at that.

"What? I'm in the business of getting and making the most effective weapons. Are you honestly surprised I have some that break straight through Aura?"

"Six, Aura is supposed to protect a person from anything as long as it is up." Winter said. "General Ironwood hasn't bothered you about it because he probably doesn't know. So tell me, what could possibly penetrate Aura in so few hits?"

"Hardlight, for one." Pulling out the hardlight enhanced energy sword, I activated it and offered to let them touch it.

"Hardlight? As in light that is hard?" Penny asked, scanning the weapon with her sensors.

"Both yes and no, in a literal sense. This is just light made into a solid. Don't ask how it works; I'm not an expert."

"Aren't you an engineer?"  
"Look, alien technology is not my expertise."

"Wait, aliens are real?!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Interesting. May I attempt to test it?" Penny asked.

"Yes, aliens are real Weiss, been fighting them for half my life. And Penny, just touch the blade. Be careful, don't want more than a little superficial damage."

Weiss seemed dumbstruck while Penny experimentally tapped her finger on the edge of the blade.

The sizzling and her hasty retraction of her finger proved I was correct.

"Is that why you are so uncaring when the Specialists gave you a hard time?" Winter asked.

"I mean, they aren't so scary when you can disable or ignore their greatest weapon and defense." Chuckling, I turned off the energy sword and put it away. "They need to stop relying on Aura to protect them."

"Do you have a less lethal weapon selection?"

"Of course! They just happen to put fist sized holes in anything without Aura. Either that or you get paralyzed by the rapidly solidifying purple paint."

"Is that actually life threatening?"

"Aura should be enough to protect you from it, the paint is meant for armor, not skin."

"So you have no idea." Winter deadpanned.

"It's proven to be significantly more healthy to be hit by than the other ammunition types." Responding in kind, I pulled out a magazine with a purple stripe on it. "However, it is the closest thing I have to an actual training round."

"Do you have any weapons that don't maim?"

"I can always punch them. Or use the electric baton I have."

"That thing is electric?"

"You...didn't notice? It's a custom one, made it easy to carry and hide."

"I would ask why you would need to hide such a thing, but then I remembered your previous occupation."

"What does being an Instructor at Atlas Academy have to do with needing to hide a weapon?" Penny asked, confused.  
Winter smiled, Weiss looked concerned, and I just laughed.

* * *

_**Remnant, Amity Arena, Above Solitas**_

_**March 23, 2553**_

_**0900 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"That'll be twenty Lien; sir."

"Thank you." Tossing the Lien over the counter, I grabbed the snacks and walked back to the seats.

Honestly, the Lien wasn't that different from the UNSC credit. The only difference is that Lien are interchangeably used as a note and a credit system.  
It was something about them storing the value electronically; and as such counterfeits were incredibly hard to make.

Understandably confusing. I mean, how do they do both credit-based systems and a physical note system on the same card?  
Whatever. As long as I knew the denominations and had enough of it, the system worked for me.

The bag of popcorn rustled as I sat down.  
"Enjoying the match?"

"Of course! Their combat styles make for excellent analysis."

"Heh, Kat would either love or hate you…"

"I have been meaning to ask. I overheard you mention this 'Kat' as 'Noble-Two'. Given your behavior, your moniker 'Six' must be a derivation of it. So therefore, what was Noble?"

"You are surprisingly clever. Then again, you are an AI, one that was assigned to a Spartan…" The members, it hurt seeing their faces in my mind. "We...-Well; we were all born into a war we didn't ask for. You too, Penny. In fact, most of us died to get an AI like you off-planet. They better have made it count, because I sure as hell did…"

"So, what happened? You are still here and you are referring to events that are impossible."

"The memories, they might come to you in time, but I'd rather not talk about it. If you don't get the memories yourself, I'll share some with you if you want; but only much later."

"Alright…"

Winter and Weiss sat down at the seats next to us, having returned from other activities.

"Here." Offering the bag of popcorn, they took it.

"So, Six. Who else was on Noble team?"

Remembering brought a small smile to my face. "Where do I begin...Carter, Kat, Jun, Emile, and Jorge...Brothers and Sisters in arms. In death, only Valhalla awaits…"

_Spartans never die. They're just missing in action._

"What do you mean?"

"The warrior's heaven. For those who fight well, and fight well we did…"

"Six, stop being cryptic." Winter elbowed me, to which I simply grabbed Kat's Magnum; rubbing the carvings of who had fallen on Noble team.  
I had added to it since she had fallen, but the carved numbers were a reminder of who I had left behind on that hell of a planet.

I should have died on that planet, but I had a mission to get off then; a mission to get the upgraded tech back to the UNSC.

Shit luck I ended up in what was arguably a terrible situation, and the UNSC had to have fallen. I hadn't had the time to sit down and think it out until recently, but there was definitely a Covenant ship above Earth when I got there…

The UNSC had to be gone. Not even the Master Chief could stop the entire Covenant from bearing down on Earth; and where one Covvie ship was, more always came.

If Earth fell; Humanity fell. But if I could save even a small bit of it; maybe just this subspecies, My duty as a Spartan would be upheld; whatever it took.  
The Flood, the Covenant; not even Salem or the Grimm would stand in my way.

* * *

_**Remnant, Amity Arena, Above Solitas**_

_**March 23, 2553**_

_**0915 Hours**_

_**Winter Schnee**_

Penny was interrogating poor Six about his dead teammates. He was extremely sullen at best, and outright depression wasn't even the worst possibility.  
Ironwood had mentioned it and I had seen it several times; soldiers so broken they were barely shadows of themselves.

However, none were ever quite as lively as Six could be when he could forget his past.  
He was able to be so cheerful, so carefree; it was almost like a switch flipped inside him when he remembered.

And the things that flipped that switch could be the most asinine things, sometimes.  
I remember that fateful morning when I found him lying in the grass outside. And the time he started shaking uncontrollably, staring at the wall of helmets in his garage.

I believe he was sobbing, but I am not of the stature of degrading a man who has clearly served his people so thoroughly and yet is only given more work.

* * *

_**Remnant, Amity Arena, Above Solitas**_

_**March 23, 2553**_

_**1000 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I had answered Penny's questions as much as I could; without the memories coming back.

The roars of the crowd brought me to another time…

"_Spartan, the Covenant are advancing on a sector and the ONI staff are doing their best to enact the Cole Protocol. Your mission is to hold them off as long as you can here; to buy them time and to divert the Covenant forces away from them. No support can be provided at this time."_

"_Affirmative, UNICOM. The usual ammunition shipments?"_

"_We'll give you as much as you can, but you may have to improvise."_

"_Copy that UNICOM." Alone in an abandoned site, with a horde of soon-to-be dead bastards enroute._

_Another day on the job…_

That day...I couldn't remember the name of the planet, but I do remember fighting off the Covenant for almost two days in what amounted to a farmhouse with an M319 Grenade Launcher and an M41 SPNKr Rocket Launcher. That was an eventful mission, with the after-action report just getting me more and more defensive missions from both ONI and the UNSC instead of anti-Insurrectionist operations.

Largest number of Wraith kills in any one op for me. What was it...almost eight kills? The excessive use of explosives gave me a severe concussion during those days. At least, that's what the medical personnel said when I woke back up on a medical station.

'Surrounded by rubble and dead Covvies' Was how they supposedly found me; M319 in hand and M41 bent in half. Think some of the Marines that recovered me tried to start some weird sort of fan-club. Eugh.

Not as bad of a mission as the time I crash-landed behind enemy lines. Now that was a story worth telling.

The match that was going on ended, with the Vale team beating out the Vacuo team. The 'colorful' commentators cracked jokes while the next matchup was decided.

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas, Above Solitas**_

_**March 27, 2553**_

_**0600 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Penny bounced up and down on the bed, while I lay on the couch. The TV droned on; prattling about some political deals or something. Apparently the White Fang I had captured back at that SDC/Atlas Military train had escaped.

Not too much of a worry. More dangerous Innie cells had been crushed by me before. Just meant it was going to take more force and surgical precision before they were neutralized.

Penny was staying in my apartment, and sleeping on my bed while I took the couch. To keep up the facade of 'Uncle letting niece visit'.  
The apartment was small, but it was big enough for me to somewhat live in and finish the work I didn't finish at the Academy. It was just a shame this was the one part of Atlas that was extremely shady.

"So, what sort of things will I be able to do with my new body?"

"We're going to integrate a lot of functions my Mjolnir has; but mostly the basic functions." Penny pouted at that. "Sorry Penny, but you won't be able to get all the cool stuff like active camouflage and ArmorLock."

"So, what do I get?"

"VISR for your scanners, for one. A downsized version of the jetpack and energy shielding is planned, but they haven't gone anywhere yet. The more portable versions are still being figured out as to asset denial and storage."

"So the main issue is how to keep bad people from learning our technology?"

"Pretty much. We're working on a plan to have it dissolve, but we don't get many chances to collaborate." The MK VI helmet stared into my face. Funny, that Ardent had left all the superficial damage on, with burns, and even the slightest trace of plasma scarring. Hell, I had even found the old visor in the soft case; all faded and cracked.

I sure gave them hell. Could have given them even more if I hadn't let myself get pinned down in that structure.

"Can I test out the new body soon?"

"I don't know, we'll try and get the upgrades done before the next Vytal Festival, but we're not sure." Looking over at the TacPad, I figured I could try and refresh on what was to occur in terms of events. When I had first checked, the footage was so many hours, I was only able to watch for the first seven 'Volumes'. Now, they were the only ones I could select.

"The hell…?" I glanced at Penny.  
She had now become rapt with interest in whatever was on the news.

Shrugging, I turned back to the TacPad. There was something new.  
'Steel Trailer' wasn't a thing before. In fact, it didn't even exist. There wasn't any character associated with that color except…

Oh fuck off.

I wonder which of my missions they used; considering the 'trailer' for me was shorter than the others.

The footage began, with a burning Pelican.  
I remember that day...

* * *

_**File Loading...**_

_**Please input ONI clearance at the indicated interface...**_

_**|Access Granted|  
**_

_**Loading...**_

* * *

_**[Redacted], [Redacted] System**_

_**[Redacted], 2546**_

_**[Redacted] Hours**_

_**Helmet Footage of Spartan Beta-312**_

The star was rising, and two armored men slowly trudged through the forest.  
"Hang in there, Daniel. LZ's less than a klick out." The helmet's owner said. "Command, requesting immediate evac. We have wounded and the Covvies are enroute!"

"Copy, Spartans. Evac is enroute, prepared for a hot LZ. You have the Covenant asset?"

"Affirm, command. We are enroute to the LZ, ETA five minutes."

"I...Just leave me…" The limping Spartan sagged.

"I'm not leaving you on this shithole of a planet, Daniel! Now come on, we can make it." Spartan B-312 said to the Spartan identified as B-240; draping an arm over his shoulder. "Lean on me, you cover us."

B-240 raised his M7S to provide cover as B-312 supported him.

"Come on, two hundred meters…" Straining, B-312 took B-240's weight as they slowly made their way. "Shit; Inbound Phantoms!"

"Just leave me! Take the asset and go!"

"Daniel, I will personally haul your ass to the extract if I have to. Now cover us!"  
The trek was long and difficult, with both Spartans taking several hits.

Finally, they came upon a clearing, and a Pelican awaited them.

"Get in Spartans! We'll cover!" One of the Marines yelled.

"Daniel, go! I'll cover you!" Turning, B-312 sprayed into the wave of Covenant bearing down on the Pelican.

B-240 climbed aboard the Pelican, and B-312 followed suit. The Marines backpedaled in, firing into the mass of Covenant descending upon the landing zone.

"This whole op is FUBAR!"

"No shit; Marine! Get us out of here!"  
The Pelican lumbered into the sky.

"Engines have been hit!"

"Just get us back to the Fate!"

"This is Sierra Beta-Three-One-Two! Requesting additional air support! Banshees are hounding us!"

"Longsword squadron enroute. ETA five mikes."

"Aegis Fate, we're not going to last five mikes!"  
Plasma filled the troop bay, with several Marines taking hits.

"What do we have for AA?!"

"SPNKr in one of the compartments! Six shots!"

Rummaging through the lockers above the seats, B-312 grabs the M41 SPNKr and takes aim.  
"Clear backblast!" The rocket fires, arcing around to slam into a Banshee.

Green lines of plasma zipped past the Pelican. "Just fucking unload into those bastards! Take them down with massed fire!"  
One of the Banshees was concentrated on, and it exploded.

Then the Pelican was hit by a glob of plasma, and the Pelican dropped.  
"I've lost control! We must've been EMP'd!"

"Brace!" The Pelican swung around rapidly, slamming into the ground.  
B-312 was thrown from the troop bay, and the feed cut out temporarily.

"Urgh...Wha…?" The feed blinked in and out, before finally settling in.  
B-312 grabbed a M6G Magnum before crawling to the crashed Pelican.

The Pelican was crushed and broken, but there was still enough room to get inside.

B-312 made his way to the cockpit, tapping at a console.  
"There. Aegis Fate, this is Sierra Beta-Three-One-Two. Do you read?"

Static answered.

"My comms are down and the Pelican's is too? Damn." Turning to grab a M7S off the ground, B-312 hides in the Pelican as the swoosh of a Covenant dropship nears.  
A Sangheili grunts, and several Ung-goy squeal.

One Ung-goy enters the crashed wreck, and cries out in terror. "Demon! Wauhaughah!"

"They are dead! Get back in there! All of you!" The Sangheili growls, and all the Ung-goy enter the Pelican.

Aiming, B-312 opens fire on them.  
Several go down, but one turns and runs out before succumbing to its wounds.

"Ragh!" The Sangheili roared, before trudging into the Pelican.  
B-312 hides in the cockpit, looking over his ammunition. "29 of 48…" He mutters, patting down the magazines stuck to his armor.

"You will die; human! Show yourself!"

B-312 leans around the corner, firing a hail of bullets.  
The Sangheili's shields break, and B-312's M7S clicks.

"Get over here, you fuck!" B-312 shouts, pulling out his combat knife.  
The Sangheili opens fire, and the plasma splashes against B-312's armor. Running at the Sangheili, B-312 slams the combat knife into the Sangheili's face.

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas, Above Solitas**_

_**March 27, 2553**_

_**0615 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The footage played a song I didn't recognize; but the TacPad identified it as 'Limited Edition' by the band named 'HAEL'.

Interesting choice; but apt.

The video played, showing me in my old EOD armor kicking Covvie ass.  
Funny, that suit was forest green and dirt brown, but the crash had scratched most of the paint off.

After killing the first Covvie patrol, I had two and a half mags for the M7S, and three magazines for the M6G Magnum.  
Took those two magazines off of Daniel. First brother I watched die; and I was helpless to stop it.

We had a mission though, and I saw it through.

Aegis Fate had stayed in orbit for a few days after we lost contact, probably trying to find us after we dropped out of contact.  
After taking out the next few Covvie patrols; the alien bastards finally descended upon me in full, and I quickly ran out of ammo.

Of course, I was stuck with a Plasma pistol and the Needler for quite some time.  
That was where the video had started, with me cutting down squad after squad of Covvies with their own weapons.

Eventually the Needler ran out, and I grabbed a Plasma rifle.  
The chaos continued, to the point where I had eventually hijacked a Wraith.

The video ended there, but I knew what happened afterwards.  
I fought my way to a Covvie outpost and stole a Banshee; flying onto the Aegis Fate.

Captain thought I was an insane bastard.

After all, I had managed to complete the mission; and had held out for several hours with only a Plasma pistol and rifle.

That was when ONI made me a special HeadHunter, assigning me on special missions alone.  
Mostly missions to hold off against overwhelming Covenant numbers; to buy time for evacuations or asset extraction.

Selling my life for time. I did it so my fellow brothers and sisters in arms didn't have to; so that they could live to see another day.

Never would have expected to be the one being protected by their sacrifices.

* * *

_**A/N: For those who haven't noticed yet, this entire thing is hit-or-miss; in the way that you either like the story, the characters, or the humor(maybe even all three!) or you hate(not your stuff, understandable) them.**_

_**Now; Comments(Seriously anyone can do it and I will reply. If you'd like to toss in your own two cents, then by all means; I haven't ignored anyone's comments yet):**_

* * *

_**Sm0keyPanda- Indeed, Penny is most precious. Must protect. To me, she kind of represents the whole bit of innocence and I even have several plans of 'growing up' arcs(absolutely no clue how to make it convincing, but I'll try my damnedest).  
In other news, the deleted scene was intended as a literal comedy skit while not so subtly pointing out the fact that Six does indeed have problems; despite what he claims. The previous chapter was kind of a part 1 to this chapter, but I felt that the cut off points were separate enough to be put together well and be put out as separate things.**_

_**Halofan2117- I honestly hate not having a filter sometimes, because I'll do something, then look back and go 'That was a really bad idea' to myself.  
On the topic of humor and all that making the story feel significantly less edgier than it probably would without; I derived a good portion of my humor(I learn an awful lot by watching) from shows like Red vs Blue, RWBY(both are RoosterTeeth shows, and you should know the latter), and even some of the more obscure ones like "Contract Killer". It's a 1998 movie that I grew up watching, I haven't seen it in a while but I think that formed the base of my sense of humor . Just search it up and it should appear. Best part is it's apparently free on YouTube; if you want to watch it yourself.**_

* * *

_**To everyone who is probably thinking it, yes; Six is really OP.**_

_**However, just because you're strong on one front doesn't mean another isn't weaker...**_

_**If anyone can figure out what Six has(in terms of a diagnosis; you'll get what I mean), I am sorry if I'm misrepresenting the actual people affected by it.  
I genuinely mean no harm, but between slight bits of artistic license and keeping to a rarer variant of the disorder itself; it may not be entirely accurate.**_

_**So, enjoy while we sit in our homes and watch the world bore itself into oblivion.**_


	14. Janitorial Services

_**A/N: Just all comedy for now, but think of it as a transition bit to fill in exactly what the hell happens during the last chapter and the next one. Unfortunately, Kevin got seriously screwed over as a side character, he was named then promptly tossed aside because the only real scene he exists in got deleted.**_

_**RIP Kevin's development.**_

_**Enjoy the filler content, I guess. Sorry for not providing anything really moving the plot forwards, but this is pretty representative of the whole time period this occurs during. A slow period, with boring shit to go down instead of action packed nonsense.**_

_**Also because the next part goes better with the next bits(including the stuff I'm currently writing, so either expect small chunks or a hiatus then a large as shit chapter).**_

_**I would like to apologize to anyone who actually tries to read this on a regular schedule, I upload these 'when I feel like it' or in the sense of 'I deliver when there is generally no content or I think you guys have sat and waited for the next part long enough'. At least it is guaranteed to be at least one chapter a week, right?**_

_**Oh. Wait.**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**May 18, 2553**_

_**0500 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The grassy field in front of the cabin was perfect for exercise.

Grabbing a towel, I wiped myself down and summoned the Falcon.  
I needed to repair the engines and make sure the physics-defying flight hadn't damaged anything else.

Welding the engine back on wouldn't be that hard, I just needed to rewire the whole thing and fix all the pipes that brought fuel and coolant to the engine.  
I'd had worse repair jobs; but this was up there. I did prefer to repair my own craft after missions; it was like accepting the responsibility of letting it be damaged.

Unfortunately, any vehicle I rode in without driving had an awful tendency to crash.  
No clue why. Some got lucky and avoided such a fate, but so far most had crashed or been severely damaged in one way or another.

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**May 19, 2553**_

_**0540 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Of course, I was being forced to go help substitute for the fucking exercise instructor.  
Ironwood said it was because 'Of my extreme training regimen' and my 'Strict adherence to the belief of maintaining fitness' or some shit like that.

The students filed in, and were bewildered at my appearance.  
"Alright students! Apparently, Headmaster Ironwood is having me be a substitute teacher on the side for some reason. Since the usual instructor is absent, I will be teaching in their stead!"

The students were whispering to each other; asking why the weapons and basic combat teacher was here.

"So; in the spirit of my usual routine and to really challenge you, the only objective for today is to keep up!"  
They agreed immediately, thinking it would be easy. The ones that knew me hesitated; because they knew what I sort of challenges I put my students up to.

"First, laps! One mile!" Running a mile should be enough; after all, I needed to keep time allotted for the rest of the exercises.  
The students seemed to relatively enjoy this, with only the most out of shape ones not having fun. Most finished within ten or so minutes.

"Good, good. Now, one-hundred jumping jacks!" Putting them through the paces, the students got through it with relative ease.

I continued down the list, sit-ups, push-ups, deep squats, knee bends, leg lifts, and chin-ups. All 100 each.  
The students were slowly starting to collapse of exhaustion now, and all but a few were digging into their Aura to keep going.

After they were done, there was still five minutes left; and I decided to complete my routine.  
"He can still keep going?!" The students were shocked. I still had another hundred or so laps to go.  
"How much Aura does he have?!" One exclaimed.  
"None? He said something like that in his class." One of my regular students answered.

The students erupted into chaos until the bell rang, while I kept running my laps.  
I had 45 minutes to finish up and clean up, after all.

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**May 28, 2553**_

_**1130 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The students filed out as the bell rang.

Kevin had been taking breaks to go be with his family; something about one of his children getting food poisoning. I was fine with it; I only had to watch the students spar and give advice on how to improve.

I still needed to stress the importance of not relying on Aura and Semblances to them. Most laughed it off when I revealed I had no Aura or Semblance, and all of them laughed when I offered to spar them.

Those first couple days were fun; educating the students just how wrong they were about my skills.  
I did go easy on them; of course. If I was swinging hard enough, I might have killed a person.

Reclining in the chair, I grabbed my lunch and began to eat while considering the class's grades for the sparring.  
Scarfing down the meal, I began to review the combat footage.  
My enhanced senses helped some, but it helped even more when I could go back and see it again.

After a bit of reviewing the team-sparring; the computer rang an alert.  
Reading it, I gathered my items and exited the classroom.

A fight in the cafeteria?  
Oh ho ho; they were so going to regret this.

After jogging through the halls, I made it to the cafeteria.

Some strange amalgamation of a food fight and an actual brawl between several students was occuring, as several bananas flew past the doorway.  
"What the fuck…?" I muttered. This is not what I had expected.  
I was seriously contemplating bringing out my Mjolnir and teaching these kids a full on lesson.

Thankfully; before I beat the ever-loving shit out of the students; Ironwood appeared alongside several of my fellow co-workers.  
"You want me to get them in line; sir?"

"Go ahead, Markus. Try not to hurt them; please. They do still have classes."  
I stepped forward, Magnum in my hand.

Some fucker threw a cake, and it sailed through the air.  
Where the fuck did they get a cake from? The menu only has healthy items on it, and of the few dessert items, cake is not one of them.

The Magnum raised, tracked the cake; and fired.  
The discharge of a 12.7mm round silenced the room.

One brave bastard decided to toss an apple at me.  
It was met by my hand catching it before it hit me. The clacking of boots and shoes from behind heralded Ironwood's entrance as the apple hit the floor.

"Students. If you all could stop destroying the school and playing with your food, that would be appreciated."  
It was at that point when one student fell from where they were pinned to the wall.

Ironwood left, and us teachers were left to deal with the repairs.  
Good thing nothing structural was broken, and the dust from the wall and other damaged parts of the room wasn't in the food.

Instead, the food was all over the room, coating it.  
This would be a hell of a clean-up job.

The only thing I had for cleaning up massive areas was a plasma grenade, and that melted the materials Atlas uses.  
"Alright students, get on out of here. We have to clean all this. Next time, keep in mind the janitors have to pick up after you." Turning to a fellow teacher, I quietly asked "We do have a janitorial staff, right?"

"Yes, but they're on strike."

"Goddamnit." I said under my breath. "Y'think Ironwood will care if construction's required?"

"Yes."

"Shit." Swearing again, I looked around the room.

One side of the room was covered in food while the other had a large barricade of tables, with what looked to be a no-man's land in between.  
There were literal outlines of where some students had been splattered with food.

"Someone get the gardener's hose."

"We have a gardener?"

"How am I the one that notices that?!" Goddamnit, why is it always me?!

"We...always assumed Ironwood had robots do it."

"Yes, they're called sprinklers, and sometimes those break; so the gardener calls for a mechanic's help. I just so happen to be a mechanic. While the sprinklers are being repaired, the gardener uses an actual hose to water the plants. Now someone get the gardener's hose, which is in the maintenance closet by the rear entrance." Someone ran off, probably to grab it.

"Wait...Is anyone watching the students?" Someone else asked.

"Oh sonuva…"

An explosion rocked through the halls.  
"Did they get to the armory?!"

"It would appear so."

You know, sometimes I really do miss fighting the Covenant. At least I knew what I was getting into with them.

Some teachers ran off to deal with the students, and others went back to their classrooms to prepare their curriculum. That left me, and the teacher who returned with the gardener's hose.  
Fortunately, it was connected to a tank of water, which made it somewhat portable.  
If we ran out, we would just refill it.

"Wait...How do we drain all this?" My only helper asked as we sprayed down the cafeteria.

"Uh...Find a vacuum?" I suggested. "Look, I'm really not paid for this; so I could honestly care less if the room is technically trashed. I could evaporate most of the water here, but I don't think flash-boiling the room and possibly melting several structural supports would be appreciated."

"Oh."

"Yeah, let's just keep washing."

After a bit, the remains of the food fight had turned into a multi-colored goop that had a strange mud-like consistency. It was kind of cool; with rainbows and shit on the floor, but at the same time; more shit to have to fix.  
"Should we fix the tables?"

"It'll just make the mess worse. How large is our vacuum?"

They held up a vacuum that looked like something from the twenty-first century. It had such a pitiful container, this was going to suck.

"Ok, bring it here." I said, opening it up and removing the dust filter. Placing the lid back on, the switch was flipped and the hose was put near the goop.

The most horrible sound I have ever heard, even possibly topping the sound of the Flood converting new biomass into its own; reached my ears.  
"NopeNopeNope!" Yelling, I quickly flipped the vacuum off.

My fellow teacher, who was a Faunus, had just curled up in pain. Honestly; that was understandable.

The hose was currently aimed upwards, in an effort to stop the horrific sound before turning it off.  
Lowering it, I cringed in disgust as the goop splurged out, but this time it was even more solid.  
"Eurgh, it's even worse now."

"Maybe you should flash-boil the room…"

"You have a fair point. Help me get to the windows and open them; that way the steam can be let out easily."  
We made our way over to the windows and just opened them as wide as we could. After that, a hasty retreat to the doorway, trying our best to avoid the goop.

Holding up a plasma grenade, I tossed it into the center of the goop.  
It burned brightly, and the goop around it began sizzling.

"Get around the corner, I don't want to be here when it goes off."  
They nodded, and we took off.

When the plasma grenade detonated, we peeked around the corner, only to find that the entire hallway was filled with steam.  
"Ironwood is gonna kill me for this." I groaned. "Just get out of here, I'll deal with this."

They ran off, as I summoned the Mjolnir; specifically the EOD suit to avoid any shitty decontamination of the suit afterwards.  
Making my way over to the windows; I discovered why the steam wasn't escaping.

Turns out; the heat grid was on the fritz today. That meant near freezing temperatures in Atlas; and the steam had immediately fucking frozen in the windows.  
I could use another plasma grenade, but the walls were glowing a faint red already.

Thankfully, most of the goop had evaporated; leaving behind only the mushy solids.  
Seriously thinking back to the Flood; and the multiple outbreaks I had exterminated.

Punching the ice, it shattered under the strength of my grip.  
The steam was hot enough to let most of it escape.  
It wasn't really a threat anymore, and so it wasn't my problem.

Stepping out of the cafeteria, the Mjolnir disappeared in a blue flash.  
Ironwood's assistant; Stephanie Santiago, came up to me. "I take it you dealt with the mess?"

"Yeah, but what's the school's budget for renovations?"

"I should have expected this of you."

"I'm sorry, but when the original method starts making a scream that could have only come from Hell itself; I don't care if it's 'unsafe' or 'endangers the safety of the students', I'm going to purge the damn thing."

"What noise was it even making?"  
In response to that, I replayed the sound from my TacPad.

She winced in pain. "Understandable. I'll check to see if our budget has enough to fix the cafeteria."

* * *

_**A/N: Nothing to really add, like I said, might have to go on 'hiatus'; as in more of the term of 'Writing, not sure where to go from here'. Once I get out of this little rut in the mud, I can start going again. Either that or I make the mistake of looking back and trying to fix the story; which is going to be pain for everybody.**_

_**Fun fact: Apparently I was unable to obtain the information until today that the Black trailer happens less than a year before RWBY Vol1Chap1. If you listen closely enough, you can hear me internally screaming at how this is not put anywhere on the wiki, which I have over 10 tabs of open for research and confirmation of lore.**_

_**Now, Comments:**_

* * *

_**Halofan2117- Agreed, Penny is adorable. As for her not dying...Uh...*Looks at Volume 3* You know how I said I'm planning on mostly sticking to canon? This is one of the few parts I am literally conflicted on. Oh well. I get there when I get there.**_

_**Sm0keyPanda- Glad you liked it. Sorry if you were expecting actual plot development in this one, it's basically padding.**_


	15. History Lessons and Honoring the Fallen

_**A/N: Another short one. Kind of transitional, but I left some impactful moments in.**_

_**Trying to see if I can draw(I can, but it's very hit or miss, almost like my entire personality) a new cover image, and then hopefully figure out how to get it done digitally. Worse case, this story gets a paper drawing or doesn't change at all.**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**August 14, 2553**_

_**1650 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Four days until I got to work at Beacon.

The moonshine sat, ready after almost a whole month.

"To Jorge, the Savannah, and every Marine that came with us. See you all in hell." Pouring the moonshine into a glass, I added some more juice and a little bit of water. Raising it to my lips, I emptied the glass. I poured another.  
The setting sun swayed, and the darkening sky swirled.

"I-I should have done more. If I was just faster I could have gotten us out. You would still be alive, and we could have saved Carter, maybe even Emile…"  
We could have bought more time for Reach; if only I was faster.

Dammit, I was always the lone survivor. No matter what happened, I would always be the last one left standing.  
Why? Why me?

No matter. Whatever it took, Remnant would live.

Humanity will not fall again.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**August 16, 2553**_

_**1200 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"Can I have a taste?"

"Yang, you're 16 and this stuff would kill you anyways."

"What do you mean?! It can't be that bad! You're drinking it!"

"Yang, this is almost pure ethanol. At this rate, I'm just drinking the stuff my vehicles used to run on."

"So why are you drinking it?"

"Because it doesn't harm me. Either that or I just can't feel it anymore."

"Sounds fun! Come on! Give me a little bit!"

"Yang, that is a no! You are not having any of this! You will literally die!"

Qrow walked in, such a rare thing nowadays; his visits.  
"Ah, Qrow. Welcome!"

"Uncle Qrow!" The kids yelled, running over to hug him.

"Could I have some of what you're drinking?" Qrow gestured towards my drink.

"You too? 199 proof. You can if you really want." Qrow's eyes widened.

"199 Proof?! Are you insane?!"

"Only way I get myself tipsy. Should have seen the first time I got wasted."

Qrow seemed interested at that. "Oh really? What happened then?" He asked, pulling out his own flask and drinking from it.

"You ever try launching a three ton vehicle with explosives?"

"You what?!" The trio yelled at me.

"I have the footage somewhere. It's pretty funny, even for me."

"What even gave you the idea that was a good idea?" Qrow asked incredulously.

"I am not a person to back down from a challenge." I retorted.

"**RIP AND TEAR!**" Both Ruby and Yang yelled, as I turned to look at the TV screen.  
They were each brutally slaughtering demons in what I supposed was Hell.

"Ah, reminds me of my old work sometimes."

"Are they even supposed to play that?"

"You think Tai would let them come over to my house on the weekends if he knew they were playing things like this?"

"True. Mind if I have a go on it?"

"I don't care. Just don't break my controllers or anything."  
I poured out the last of the alcohol from my container and I downed it in one gulp.  
Wasn't that much, but I definitely felt a bit tipsy. I walked over to the couch and leaned on it, watching as Qrow tried to get into the game while Yang played against him.

Ruby sat off to the side, giggling as she watched Qrow stumble through the level.

I rubbed the Noble team pin I had, it was one of the few things Noble had given me.  
"_You're a part of Noble team now. For better or worse." Carter said, handing me a pin._

"_Thanks. I'm sorry I had to replace Thom so quickly."_

"_It's alright; you didn't exactly choose this assignment anyways." Carter said, probably remembering what Thom did.  
__Of course, Kat walked up then.  
_"_Say, Six. What's with all that black ink? It's so high level I can barely even scratch it."_

"_Speaking of, how did you manage to read my entire file, Carter?"_

"_Called in a few favors. You really do have an impressive list of things under your belt."_

"_ONI does what ONI wants; and I was but a fingertip of an impressively large hand."_

Qrow played at the game for a bit, then handed it off to Ruby and sat down on the couch.  
I looked at my TacPad, scanning over the list of things to do.

I had to deal with the various minor Flood outbreaks that were currently under quarantine, the shadow war between Oz and Salem, possibly infiltrating Salem's group, getting those Atlas prototypes and refits off the ground, making sure Penny was all situated and acclimated to her body, and helping secure the networks of all the various kingdoms.

I sat down in a chair, reclining as I pondered over how in the fuck one man could be saddled with so much responsibility.

Actually; I hadn't quite gotten around to figuring out exactly what the fuck was with this planet.  
I called up Ashen and told him to meet me in my basement, which was just a poorly disguised armory and Forerunner forge.

Honestly, anyone walking down here would be suspicious.

I closed the door behind me and walked down the stairs as the monitor appeared in a flash of yellow rings.  
"Ah, how may I assist you, Reclaimer?"

"Well, I do remember you referring to the populace here as 'test subjects'. Could you clarify on what this 'Installation' or series of Installations was for?"

"Oh, of course! Before the Halo Rings were fired or constructed, alternate methods for combating the Flood were tested. We had found this world was interacting strangely with the remnants of the Precursors and upon closer observation noticed the local fauna and environment adapting to and even incorporating the Precursors' remains. When the Flood emerged, theories of whether this would work as a possible weapon against the Flood arose."

"So you began true research."

"Of course! We seeded the human genome, mixing it with Precursor traits and mixed some animal traits with an artificial copy of the Flood genome; implanting it in the Precursor remains. It seemed somewhat effective, although it was noted that the populace were rather well aware of our presence."

"So, I know that the human race here was wiped out once. What happened to cause that?"

"Well, the Lifeworker, or the Librarian, as your kind may better know her by; and the Ur-Didact sought to find a solution to the Flood threat. To that end, this planet was to be placed within a slipspace bubble and hidden within a shield world. As the search for answers grew desperate, the Ur-Didact decided he needed more warriors in his endeavor to combat the Flood, and composed the population. The Flood had already managed to contaminate the local 'moon' in orbit."

"Wait; there's Flood on this planet's moon?"

"The threat was neutralized. However, it left the moon shattered and one of the populace was revealed to have mutated to become immortal; of sorts."

"I take it that the experimentation on the populace manifested the genetic error?"

"The geas implanted within your species appeared to have transferred over to theirs; with the immunity to being composed being one of them. To combat this, the Librarian made another of the populace able to reincarnate, and after a time; the subspecies of humanity was reseeded on this planet. Before the firing of the Rings, the planet and its satellite was encased in a shield world and placed within slipspace."

"So everything that's happened has basically been caused because of an error in the genetic coding?"

"It would appear so."

"But why was a monitor assigned here?"

"Why, to inform the Forerunners of any developments. I have been quite entertained by watching the local populace develop and grow. If the local populace were to encounter the Flood or revealed to be an effective weapon against the Flood, they were to be taken and used against the Flood."

"Well, that was enlightening. Speaking of, are there any urgent outbreaks to deal with?"

"No, Reclaimer. However, the Flood appear to have learned how to circumvent my surveillance procedures and are starting to hide from us. As a precaution I have contained every facility known and logged as having contained Flood in a hardlight sphere. All teleportation in and out of those facilities has been disabled."

"Those are good precautions. Say, could you give me a map of which ones are contained and which ones are known to have Flood outbreaks in them?" Ashen took my TacPad and began tinkering with it, upon which he returned it.

"It is done."

"Thanks, helps me know if I can deal with one in the area while I'm doing something else."

"All the hardlight spheres have one entry point, which will be a decontamination room. Locate it and it will let you inside."

"And these are guaranteed not to be infected or tampered with?"

"They are heavily guarded by Sentinels and even a few prototypes of the 'Prometheans' that the Ur-Didact was working on."

"Thanks for the information, Ashen. I'll clear all of them out eventually; but I've got a lot to work on."

"Of course Reclaimer. You can reach me by contacting me the same way you did. Now; I have facilities to maintain."  
With that, he teleported away in a flash of yellow.

I walked back upstairs, to find that the trio had began playing the 'Minecraft' game; and Qrow had managed to build a house with a fireplace.  
Only for him to sigh in exasperation as it caught fire.

"Uncle Qrow, you shouldn't put wood that close to the fireplace!" Ruby scolded him.

"It's three blocks away! How much farther does it need to be?" He threw his hands up in frustration.

Ruby was crafting a bow and arrows, while Yang was running around with a sword and bashing everything in her way.

"You three look like you're having fun."

"Yeah, we found the third controller."

"That's nice." I responded, wondering if I could dual wield the M7 SMG . I knew I didn't have the XBR-55, and likely wouldn't need it, considering my current arsenal; but the dual SMGs would certainly prove useful in a fight.

"Want to join in? There's a fourth controller!"

"No, I'm good. I've got something to check on, anyways. Qrow, can you handle them and make sure they don't mess up my house?" Qrow nodded.

I walked into the workshop-garage, and began scrolling through my weapon selection.  
I had the M7 SMG available to me, but only one of its kind.

The Forerunner forge did allow me to copy weapons, however…

* * *

_**Remnant, Jorge Monument, Anima**_

_**August 18, 2553**_

_**1344 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The statue stood tall within the forest, the sun casting shadows all over it. Jorge would have loved it; it was so much like Reach.

"I'm sorry, Jorge. Reach fell, and we couldn't stop it. Wh-Whole fleet of them arrived, and at that point it was just a scramble to get off-planet. I mean, UNSC ships were being deployed to buy time for the civilian transports to get away. Reach burned, and we couldn't do anything. We gave 'em hell when we could, but... Nobody can stop the Covenant. Not forever; not without striking at their heart." My MK VI helmet hung from the fingers, dangling at my side.  
The helmet looked onwards, judging me.

Noble wasn't the first I had lost, but they would damned sure be the last if I could help it.  
"Meg fogom számolni, nemes.[I'll make it count, Noble.]" The Hungarian lilt wasn't quite right, but I had been out of practice for a long time. I hadn't used Hungarian since I busted up an Innie cell on Reach.

Sliding back on my helmet, I turned and walked away.

* * *

_**A/N: Not much to say, other than ~10k words of a difference from the unofficial document. I can only buy myself so much time now.**_

_**Comments:**_

* * *

_**Halofan2117- Sometimes, people are so broken they come out the other side stronger than ever before.**  
**And how could you forget Daniel? That was his HeadHunter partner for quite a bit.**  
**Glad you liked the chapter, now to see if I can figure out how to write the Beacon bit. Canon is going to be both painful to write around and easier because then I actually know where to go.**_

_**Sm0keyPanda- Glad you liked the comedy.**  
**And that goop could probably kill the Flood itself. Probably. Could it be weaponized? We don't know. It would probably violate the Precursor's version of the Geneva Convention; though.**_

_**Guest-Questioner- Glad you like it so far, hope you stay!**  
_


	16. Get the Big Guns

_**A/N: So; partial writer's block and a ton of schoolwork have slowed progress to a halt, but at least i have time to post another snippet from my already typed parts.**_

_**Six's bullshit continues, and he finally gets the Warthog jump done.**_

_**Those vehicles are surprisingly resilient.**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**August 19, 2553**_

_**1000 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"Woohoo!"  
An explosion rocked the forest, and the Warthog sailed through the sky.

"I knew I could do it! Take that Kat! It is possible to launch a Warthog with explosives!"  
I really needed this. After the Vytal Festival and all that stuff, this time to unwind was really helpful.

Now, time to see if I could get to Beacon in the most stylish way I could think of.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**August 19, 2553**_

_**1000 Hours**_

_**Taiyang Xiao-Long**_

"Is the neighbor drunk again?"

"Probably."

Something was soaring through the sky.  
"Is that...a car?" I strained my eyes; it seemed impossible.

"I knew he was cool."

"Markus is definitely drunk again."

"Should we go help him?"

"How? He's literally flying through the air in a car."

"We could catch it."

"Ruby, he said the car weighed three tons."

"His car weighs what?!" Yang had to be joking. There was no way to get a three ton car anywhere near that high.

"Three tons. He did mention he tried something like this before…"

"He's going to kill himself." I said, watching as the car arced slowly over to our property.

"He'll be fine."

That was the moment the Warthog disappeared in a blue flash, and its occupant rolled to the ground.  
"Hey." The occupant said; who I could only assume was Markus. He was wearing some sort of bulky armor, and was surprisingly light on his feet. There were no imprints in the ground, and his landing roll had left no visible impact on the grass.

"So, you're the Markus my daughters have been talking about."

"Yup, I met you guys when I was out shopping."

"That was you?"

"Yeah; the girls here should have told you the stuff I do."

"I'm suddenly reconsidering if it's such a good idea to have them be around you."

"Hey, I only get drunk when I'm honoring my teammates."

I nodded, that was respectable.

"And anyways, I'd like to think Emile would approve."

"A teammate of yours?"

"Yeah." Markus looked down at some metal plates attached to chains in his hands, before tucking them into a small compartment on his suit.

"So, you've been keeping them out of trouble on the weekends?"

"Yup. Let them play some games, cook them up some lunch every now and again, and it keeps them pretty happy."

"You're not even in the family and you're a better uncle than Qrow."

"Heh, met the guy. He's a good guy to have your back in a fight."

"Don't like him so much; always drinking and whatever he does. Never around for family until it really matters."

"Well, he's a busy man."  
That was when he burst in.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**August 19, 2553**_

_**1200 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Of course, Qrow decided to make his entrance.

Strangely, he was quite sober this time around.  
"Markus. We need to talk." He said tersely.

"Wha...Alright, I'll catch up with y'all later." Quickly apologizing to Tai and his kids, I followed after Qrow as he stalked into the house. "What's the matter?"

"She's gone into hiding. Her presumed pawns, too."

"They're preparing. Consolidating their forces for the major attack in a year. Be on the lookout."

"Got it; I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious."  
The TacPad beeped.

**025 Ashen Quarter:  
****Quarantined Flood Outbreak-Major**

**Prepare for teleportation.  
**"I've got something urgent to take care of. Tell them I took the backdoor or something."

"What do you mea-"  
Walking away, I disappeared in a flash of yellow soon after.

"Ah, Reclaimer. You have arrived."

"Good day to you, Ashen." I said, changing to the EOD armor.

"The outbreak is starting to take over the facility. We are outside the containment dome right now." Looking over, Ashen was right.

There were fucking pillars of fleshy biomass all over the interior of the dome, some even trying to get through.  
"Where does all this biomass even come from? The damn outbreak should already have a Gravemind built, considering all this."

"The Flood-inspired fauna counts as biomass, and the corpses do not disintegrate when infected. However, you are correct; there should have been a Gravemind being constructed by now; given all this biomass."

"Unless one was already made…"

"Precisely. I will search for the Gravemind's location. You deal with this Flood hive."  
Nodding, I walked into the decontamination room.

The floor and ceiling was literally all nozzles to spit flame at you, and purge any fucker dumb enough not to wear a suit of armor like my Mjolnir.

Suddenly, I was lifted off my feet by some sort of gravity manipulation.  
The nozzles glowed red, and I prepared myself.

After the initial blast, the door to the dome's interior opened and I was released.

Flood tendrils snaked all over the ground, and I decided to ask Ashen a rather important question.  
"So uh, this dome encompasses the entire facility?"

"Yes, and it is again; a sphere. The hardlight cuts into the ground as well and prevents the Flood from burrowing underneath."  
That was a relief.

Trudging onwards, the atmosphere had a green haze to it, and sacs all over the area pulsated before spewing out green clouds.

Good thing it can't convert Dust.  
I tossed a few vials of powdered Fire Dust in each sac, having to jam them inside the little holes they have.  
All without sticking my hand in. It's more difficult than one expects, but it got easier as I kept going.

After dealing with that, I sprayed some C-7 Foaming Explosive near the intersections of the tendrils.  
The Sentinels could take care of what wasn't liquefied.

The facility door would have opened, but it was already broken open, with tendrils all over the frame.  
Beyond it lay a hallway, where a horde of combat forms were gathered.

All as one, they turned.

Man, this environment could do with some cheering up. At least then I wouldn't feel so unsettled.  
**Playing:  
**"**Knuckle Up"  
****By "Watt White"  
**As the music played, the combat forms charged.  
This time, I had brought along the M45 Shotgun and the M7 SMG.

Hardlight pellets spat out, slicing through rotten flesh and bone.  
However, their massive size meant they kept moving along their original course.

Jump above, toss a plasma grenade.  
It stuck a Beowolf combat form, and the pack turned again to charge.  
The grenade detonated; annihilating the pack.

For good measure; several hardlight rounds unloaded into the corpses.  
They didn't disappear.  
"That better not mean they're still alive." Groaning, I nudged the corpses.

Eh, just in case.

The C-7 Foam canister clicked, and the nozzle began spraying the corpses.  
Once the foam reached a decent size, I turned and closed the canister.

The facility still had plenty of space to clear out.

Hours passed, and the facility had been mostly cleared.  
Why couldn't I get some Sentinel backup?

This had to be the source of the outbreak. There was a shit ton of combat and carrier forms; as well as some hybrid combat-carrier forms. The normal Forerunner made door was broken open, replaced with some organic rectum-door thing.  
Of course; the obligatory fucking ocean of infection forms that skittered at me.

One shotgun blast took out most of the horde.  
Good thing these things chain react, popping when nearby ones pop.

Leveling the M7, the sixty rounds cut through the rest and sliced through the carrier forms.  
Of fucking course; they flop to the ground and pulse, starting to burst.

A pin ejected, and the M9 Frag left my hand. It arced right into the center of the carrier forms, right as they burst forth infection forms.

The combat forms were sent flying.  
And as they usually do; they get back up.

Hardlight pellets sent them back down.  
That was the last of them.

Stepping into the room, cringing in disgust as I had been for the last few hours.  
The squelch of flesh being squeezed underfoot was very unsettling.

Fortunately, I had brought enough explosives to kill a Gladius class corvette.  
The sound of the C-12 Shaped Charges slapping on flesh echoed out as I gently tossed them around the room.

Eurgh.

Oh great; some of the sacs started spewing out Flood forms.  
They were promptly exterminated; and I continued my work on demolishing the Flood hive.

Some explosives here…  
Slap a C-12 on that weird fucking organic door thing…

It honestly looks like a fucking sphincter, but what the fuck would I know. It's just fucking creepy.

Shove some Fire Dust vials in the sacs…  
Place a crystal here and there…

And done.

Exiting the room, the angered howls of some Flood infected echoed.  
Did I miss one?

Lumbering footsteps. Motherfucker's making a hell of a lot of noise.  
Turn on the VISR. Maybe then I can find the fucker and…

What in the fuck is that?!

Some Eldritch abomination of crushed together corpses, all conjoined at various points to form some weird ass fucking scorpion thing. Right down the hall from me.  
It was hiding in the shadows, waiting to strike.

It had fucking spikes on its tail...thing; and it was glued to the ceiling, waiting for me to come closer.

Fuck that.  
Level the M7, and unload on that thing.

It definitely didn't like hardlight rounds; twitching and making fucking screaming noises.

Bony spikes flew at me, and embedded into the walls and ground.  
The screams echoed throughout the halls, and a howl answered back.

"Oh fuck off; there's more?!"  
Stick the damn thing with a plasma grenade.

It shoots more spikes at me, as I strafe to avoid it.  
The M7 clicks and cycles to start charging for more power.

Shit.

More spikes, and lumbering footsteps from the opposite direction.  
Deafening howl from right behind me.

A blue wave of heat engulfed the spike shooting Flood form.  
That seemed to kill it, causing it to hang from the ceiling.

Turning, I came face to face with a massive, lumbering hulk of flesh.  
It dripped some white liquid from its 'face' and growled.

"Here, hold this for me. I'll be heading the other way." Slamming a Fire Dust crystal into the indent filled with Flood feelers or whatever, I turned and fucking ran.  
A howl, then massive footsteps charging after me.

Turn and backpedal, firing the M45 while waiting for the M7 to recharge.  
I would use the normal bullets, but that means I have to decontaminate the whole weapon piece by piece.

Click.  
M45 Shotgun's recharging as well.

Then, the M7 shows it's charged.  
Grabbing it, I level the SMG and unload about a quarter of the magazine into the Dust crystal.

The Flood form bursts into flames, howling.  
"Just in case…" A sizzling blue orb lands on the Flood form, and I run away before it can chase me again.

The rest of the way out of the facility was uneventful, with only a few infection forms being spurted out from the growths all over the place.  
Leaving the facility, the detonator clicked.

A wave of heat flooded out of the facility, and the blast made the hardlight sphere dim a little.  
My energy shields were broken, with only the Forerunner shield barely surviving the blast.

Of course, my face met the ground as the wave knocked me off my feet.  
"Please tell me you can take care of the rest."

"Of course Reclaimer, the Sentinels should be capable of terminating any remaining Flood presence now that you have eliminated all hostile presence."

"Ashen, got something to show you."

"Oh? Make your way to the decontamination chamber."  
Hauling myself to my feet, I stumbled my way over.  
Probably was concussed, but Ashen had to know…

* * *

_**Remnant, Flood Infested Forerunner Facility, Unknown Continent**_

_**August 19, 2553**_

_**2100 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"You mean to tell me, these are mobile proto-Graveminds?"

"Yes, however proto-Graveminds themselves are created for a specific purpose; while these are instead meant to coordinate the Flood forms nearby into various, more generalized roles."

"So, these pure forms are Sergeants and the Gravemind is the Captain or General."

"Something like that. This is concerning however; pure forms aren't created unless a Gravemind is in the vicinity."

"So, lots of work to do; huh?"

"Well, decisive action cannot be taken until the Flood is found."

"So...Can I get a teleport back to my cabin?"

"Oh! Of course."  
I was enveloped in yellow rings, and then the cabin appeared around me. I headed in; and unsummoned my gear.  
Collapsing onto the bed, drifting in and out of sleep.

So tired…

But how could I sleep after literally learning the Flood was getting more and more intelligent?  
I had one ace in the hole though…

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**August 20, 2553**_

_**0300 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The Pelican sat, quiet.  
However, this time it wouldn't be used; rather the cargo it held.

I had noticed it from earlier, and had seriously wondered why it was on a dropship of all things.

A Medium Fusion Destructive Device, or the Fury tactical nuke.  
Cole Protocol could get extreme sometimes.

The warhead would have to be carried; but if Kat and Thom could deliver one to a Covenant ship; then I could deliver one to the Gravemind.  
Actually…

After carrying it into my workshop, I grabbed some spray paint I had bought from a shop.  
Making a quick template wasn't that hard, just sketch the decals and tape it on.  
Spraying the various colors, an Ace of Spades began to appear, the playing card slightly singed.

To touch it off; I cut out some rough calligraphy.  
The warhead now had a burning Ace of Spades card painted on, and the text below read 'Ace in the Hole'.

Perfect, now I really could call it an ace in the hole. Should cleanse most of the facility the Gravemind's in; and Ashen could take care of the rest.  
Stashed the warhead in the cabin's basement.

Decisive action.  
Hmph. Could be a good name for something.

A year or so before Salem starts making her move. Supposedly.  
Better get ready.

* * *

_**A/N: Possible new cover is done, just need to transfer over to a digital format. Which is going to suck because I have zero tools for electronic drawing, I have zero experience, and I have zero Photoshop skills.**_

_**Think it would go better if it was incorporated some other way, but I'll see if I can put it out there so you people can decide if it should replace the current one.**_

_**Anywho; Comments!**_

* * *

_**Mr. Quack- I don't know why your comment is older than the ones below it and yet you're above them; but I'll start with addressing your points.  
Yes, flow could be improved, I admit some details are somewhat skimped on. However, the way you're describing would absolutely kill any pacing the story has. If I took 5 or 6 sentences to describe every little thing, this story would be much longer than it already is. The reason behind not explaining every tidbit of knowledge Six knows is primarily because of a few things:  
A. There isn't a way to explain it without sidetracking  
B. His past is roughly explained, his days as a HeadHunter and ONI's assigned missions have given him quite the experience; and as such the question isn't how he got those skills, it's where he got them from. There's a story behind every mission reference.**_

_**Guest-Questioner- Knowing your progress so far; I can assure you that the tools Six has been provided will change his decisions. Add in a few past experiences and you have the rest of the story.**_

_**Halofan2117- Well. Guess I am continuing; huh?**_

_**Sm0keyPanda- Wait; what did they do to the Goop to get rid of it? OH SHI-  
**_

_**SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta- Fuck your name is hard to type. Anyways, yes. Doom is Eternal.**_


	17. First Day On The Job

_**A/N: Eh, close enough to 'Next Week'. For those that have missed it, I've updated the first chapter to have a smoother transition of Six's description and introduction.**_

_**Progress is now the speed of a dying snail: This little gap before Canon is difficult to write around in the fact that I don't own "After The Fall"; and that I have no idea what goes down in it other than CVFY just having their first year(I genuinely have no clue what happens during it).  
Truth is, I'll probably just have to wing it and toss all concept of Canon out the window for now.**_

_**Oh fuck, Ruby and Weiss' fighting styles are going to change because of their back-up weapons now.  
Stay tuned as I continue to dig my grave ever deeper in this story!**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Vale, Sanus**_

_**August 20, 2553**_

_**0900 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The UH-144 Falcon thudded onto the ground as the rotors slowed.

Stepping out, I was greeted by Ozpin and his assistant, the Purple Blonde Witch.  
"This is awkward." I said, unsummoning the Falcon and standing there in my Mjolnir.

"Glynda, I suppose you were not quite informed of Markus here. He has a knack for making a terrible first impression; apparently."

"I do not contest that."

"Ozpin, this man literally killed multiple people and has injured the both of us." Glynda growled.

"That was another time?" I suggested.

"Glynda; other, more pressing matters at hand have emerged, and Markus here is at the center of the solution. He is more than willing to try to make it up to you, if you let him." Ozpin said evenly, sipping from his mug.

"How is it enough to ignore the fact that he has killed people?!"

"Sometimes you need to get your hands dirty; what can I say?" Shrugging, I held my hands behind my back. If she tried to strike, I could grab the baton and fight back.

"That is not an acceptable answer! See Ozpin, this is why we need to-"  
"Actually, he is being kept in because he is very central to future events." Ozpin cut Glynda off.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Ozpin." Glynda spat, before walking off.

"Now, Six. Welcome to Beacon Academy. I hope you enjoy your tenure here." We walked into the Academy itself.

"I get it. The machine's already installed?"

"Indeed. Shall we? The mechanics might not have installed it right." Ozpin gestured towards the elevator.

Stepping in, the elevator descended. When the doors opened, the room was dimly lit, with only a few torches on pillars to light the way.  
"Now, come. Amber is currently being held in a less advanced life support machine."

Eventually the room came to a stop and the machine appeared, two Cryotubes mounted on the wall. Amber was on a hospital bed, with several large machines surrounding her.  
Looking over the mechanisms, everything seemed fine. "All systems green. She needs to take this; though." Passing along a canister of bronchial surfactant to Ozpin, I readied the syringe of cytoprethaline.

"Amber, you need to take this." Amber groaned weakly, before slowly drinking the slimy liquid.  
"It'll taste bad, but it will keep you alive when we put you in cryo." The hatch slid open, and I set the syringe aside. "Ozpin, help Amber undress as much as can be decent. Going to want to avoid freezer burn if we can." They took off her gown, leaving only a bra and shorts on.

Grabbing the syringe, I injected it into Amber. "Load her in." Ozpin nodded, and gently placed her into the cryochamber.

I walked over to the console and sealed the hatch, with the cryostasis function kicking in once the Cryochamber was sealed. "And all systems look green; patient is stable." The glass screen on the Cryotube frosted up, with the glass slowly being covered in a thin fog.  
"She's good. Just have to provide it with the power it needs."

"Wonderful. Let's discuss your position here at Beacon."

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**August 20, 2553**_

_**1600 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The airship pulled up alongside the cliffside, and the students filed out.  
I was sat on a bench, there to make sure every student made it to the orientation. The coffee cup in my hands was warm, and I watched as the students looked around to try and figure out where to go.

One came up to me. "Excuse me! Do you know where the orientation is for the first-years?"  
"Yeah; should be over there." I gestured to the auditorium building, which was off to the right of the main campus.  
"Thanks!" Sipping my coffee, I smiled as the other students milled about, confused.

A few got the hint and followed the student I had directed over, and soon the majority followed.

What a diverse selection of students. A fashionista, a Faunus in a jumpsuit, a hulking man almost as tall as a Jorge, and all sorts of varied people with different colors, heights, and clothing.

As the remaining students made their way over, I tossed the empty coffee cup into a trash bin and followed the group. I entered the auditorium, to find Ozpin and Glynda giving a speech to the students.

I made my way through the crowd to meet Ozpin.  
"Ah, Markus. Come, you should meet the rest of the staff."

"So, what exactly is my job here?"

"You're going to be considered as a teacher's aide; probably either in the combat class, weapons crafting and upkeep, or military strategy."

"So I'm being assigned to only one class?"

"No; you're being distributed among two of them. Due to your...inexperience with Dust, you are being assigned to help in Professors Goodwitch and Port's classes."

"Wait, I'm being assigned to help the woman who has a grudge against me?!"

"Think of it as 'team-bonding' and 'forging workplace relations'."

"Fine; don't blame me if I retaliate when she inevitably attacks me."

"Please refrain from hospitalizing the other staff."

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**August 21, 2553**_

_**0750 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Ozpin approached me as we awaited the students to arrive for their initiation.  
"What is it Ozpin?"

"I would like to see if you can keep an eye on the students, to prevent them from dying. We like to let them try and handle themselves, but it really is unproductive for us to lose students in such a meaningless way."

"Got it. I can get a Hornet in the air for immediate air support. Just tell me where and the support can come on down."

"Understood. I take it you are capable enough to not require assistance?"

"I can fly them back here; since they've technically failed initiation."

"You may wish to prepare. The students will be here soon."

"I'll dust off in less than five." Summoning the Hornet, I gave it a lookover.

The aircraft itself looked like it had been through hell, but the previous physical damage must have been far worse than the aesthetic damage. Probably was shot down by Banshees.

I hopped into the cockpit, running through the diagnostics.  
The screens lit up, the systems flickering as they adjusted to the upgrades.

"All systems green, dusting off." I said, more out of habit than for any real purpose. I mean, nobody could hear me on this encrypted frequency except other UNSC.  
I would have heard about other UNSC on this planet. I had been monitoring comms. No Covenant chatter. Good thing; that meant this planet was hidden so far.

The Hornet rose into the air, as the students began filing out.  
I know that Ozpin was going to launch those kids, so I should probably stay low and near the cliff to avoid hitting some kid.  
Hovering by the cliffside wasn't that hard, but I couldn't lock my altitude like with the Falcon. Still, at least it was relatively easy to just hover.

At some point, the pads thumped, and the first-years were sent flying.

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**August 21, 2553**_

_**0830 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

They were making their way to the relic location, with only a few people who hadn't paired up yet.

Ozpin's instructions had been fairly simple. I was to ensure the students didn't die during the initiation, but if they received help from me, I was to evacuate them back to Beacon where they would be failed and sent home.

I hadn't had to help anyone yet, but the students were struggling.  
Hell; if my whole job was just sitting around and waiting for them to finish, this was going to be boring.

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**August 21, 2553**_

_**1145 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

That was relatively easy. I just hovered in the air and watched the students to make sure none were in real danger of dying.  
The students had returned, and were being assigned teams and dorms.

"So, I'd like to start with the fact that I am sorry for launching you across the city."

"That doesn't excuse your senseless murder of the White Fang!"

"They were going to kill civilians that had no place in that, and I stopped them."

Glynda sighed. "Whatever. Let's just teach this class."

"Agreed. Just tell me if you need anything."  
Then, I walked off to Professor Port's classroom. 'Military Strategy'; was it?  
The campus was somehow simultaneously huge and small, with only eight classes total; that all students took for the entirety of their time at Beacon.

Here it was; this classroom. It had a huge window and a very decorated desk.

My jacket rattled slightly from all the weight of the attached knives. The recently sewn in ballistic weave probably didn't help; either. Then again, if I had to rely on the jacket for protection, I'd have a lot more to worry about than getting shot.  
"Ah, you must be the new TA!" The professor turned to face me. He was...girthy; and seemed to have aged relatively well.

"Yup." I said, looking over his desk and overall classroom set up. They were...eccentric, to say the least.

"Now, Ozpin has told me you are quite the capable man; is that so?"

"That I am." Port reached for his weapon, taking it off the rack above his desk.

"Care to spar? I'd like to see for myself how well you fare in the arena of combat!"

"Sure! I'll go easy on you."

"If you want to; I'll beat you soundly!"

"We'll see about that." I said, as we made our way to the training arena.

Port stepped on, after hooking our devices up to the big screen. I simply placed my shield strength in place of the Aura for the counter. After all, it was the closest thing I had to an actual Aura.  
"That is...a very weak Aura for a man of your caliber." Port remarked.

"Hard to train it up when you hardly find yourself using it." That was a fucking lie. My shields had gone down far more times than I could count, and it would come right back up soon after.

"A bold boast! I like it! Shall we?" Stepping into the arena, Port leveled his weapon. Some sort of extremely primitive shotgun with axe blades on the stock.

"Let's do this." Tensing up, I brought out Kat's Magnum and the Humbler. Keeping the Magnum in a ready position, I waited.

The screen counted us down.  
"Three."  
"Two."

"One."  
My arm shot upwards, and I fired.

Lockdown paint, immobilize him and I could whittle down his Aura with gunpowder bullets or whack him with the Humbler.  
He tanked the hit, but opened fire.

I dodged right, firing the Magnum. He took several shots, but was still standing.  
He tries to move, but is stuck. Reload, fire again.

Aiming for the arms, a glob of paint strikes his weapon out of his hands.  
"Neat trick!" He laughs, trying to pull out of the Lockdown paint.

"Is this an automatic win then; or do I need to physically lower your Aura?"

"I'll call it a draw."

"This is the exact opposite of a draw; professor Port."

"Nonsense; I didn't win!"

"Whatever you say…" Rolling my eyes, I walked over. "Now, to get that paint off of you." Pulling out a combat knife, I began hacking at the paint.

His legs soon came free, with only a few bits of the paint still stuck on. His weapon was a different story. The paint had struck it right by the trigger guard, which meant it could go off if we tried to remove the paint.

"I can remove it, but you're going to want to tell me how to unload it."

"Just fire all the rounds! They are fairly easy to get."  
More hacking at the paint, and the gun went off several times. Eventually, the trigger guard was cleared out, and the paint was just flakes and bits.

"Sorry about screwing up your weapon, but I didn't want to use a lethal round."

"Well, those certainly are nonlethal." Port grumbled, trying to pick the purple chunks out of his shirt. "That wasn't fair. You used trickery to win."

"Isn't that the whole point of fighting? Not to fight fair?"

"Why, where's the fun in that?!" Port cried out, as we entered the classroom.

* * *

_**A/N: Now, should I make a chapter detailing all the ideas I had that I didn't use?**_

_**Some are quite funny. If not, I'll just mention a few in the Author's notes in the next couple of chapters(done chronologically to avoid potential spoilers and so I don't have to toss out ideas).**_  
_**Might turn them into full-blown segments for April Fool's chapters of sorts. 'Deleted Scenes', of a sort.**_

_**After all, Six was always meant to be a mentor figure to team RWBY.**_  
_**But there was going to be a whole spiel where he becomes a father figure to Weiss(Obviously** very** much scrapped, Weiss barely knows him as anything but an occasional mentor in this version).**_

_**Comments:**_

* * *

_**Halofan2117- Here's another!**_

_**Sm0keyPanda- Oh right, I almost forgot about that. But who said Ozpin or anyone else will know that Six is planning to nuke the Gravemind?  
More foundations for conflict to be laid.**_

_**SSJ4- Of course, but you have to admit the image of a shit-faced Spartan-III trying to perform the Warthog jump is hilarious. After all; he failed the first time and learned what a tire tasted like.**_

_**Mr. Quack- I get it, but the way you had it set up made it seem like a lot of purple prose, and the idea here is that this is in the perspective of the characters. Six isn't going to reminisce on his teachings back in Camp Currahee while on mission or anything like that. The most that will happen is and most likely will always be is a brief explanation.  
It's very effective for hinting at bits of backstory that I'm too lazy(wait what?) to actually write.**_

_**Guest- Glad you like it!**_


	18. Scrapped from the Start: Omake Series

_**A/N: First bit of non-canon, scrapped ideas made somewhat reality. I wrote the majority of what I figured would happen, but this bit felt off to me.**_

_**Probably because I have writer's block on the main story, and am trying to figure out how to continue where I'd left off.**_

_**Who would have guessed that I had planned to write this and have this account be my 'trial by fire'?  
Threw this story out there to see if there were ways I could improve, and next thing I know, people actually like this story.**_

* * *

_**Initiation Day: Get Set for Drop, Trooper!**_

_Noble Six somehow managed to enlist as a student at Beacon Academy. Initiation will most certainly be interesting._

_Someone get the popcorn._

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**August 21, 2553**_

_**0745 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Equipment check.

I checked my weapons, and made sure each one had a fresh magazine loaded in.

If the videos were actually predicting the future, I was going to be fucking launched off the cliff.  
Almost like that Covvie planet. No Daniel to watch my back anymore though.

I scowled under my helmet, thinking back to that mission.  
Drop pods were tracked almost immediately, and Covvies were hot on our trail the entire time.  
Voices drifted over, other students chatting about teams and all that.

Whatever. I would improvise and adapt to the situation as it changed.  
UNSC doesn't let just anyone test the new prototype version of Mjolnir, after all. My years as a solo-defender of multiple sites and veteran of many; arguably suicidal, missions helped make me one of the few allowed to field test the new armor systems.

I ran the suit diagnostics before heading out.

**Mjolnir Mk VI Initializing…  
****Running BIO S...**

**TechSuit - Good**

**BioMonitors - Good**

**LockDown System - Good**

**Shields - Good**

**Neural Connection - Good**

**Motion Trackers - Good**

**Weapon-HUD Link - Good**

_**Slipspace - Optimal**_

_**Hardlight Projectors - Optimal**_

All systems green. I mentally ticked through every weapon at my disposal.  
Not Covenant weapons, plasma might not be effective against the Grimm.

The classics would do for now. MA37, M6G, and M392. Jetpack for added mobility, too.  
The assault rifle, Magnum, and DMR. Good for just about any range and most enemies.  
If I came across anything tougher, I'd just improvise. Not the first time I managed to kill something that out-classed me with just bullets and grenades before.

Don't want to reveal my full hand just yet.

I was inspecting Kat's M6G, the carved numbers of all of Noble staring back at me.  
"Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately." The PA system crackled.

Lock and Load.  
The Magnum slid onto the magnetic thigh strip, and I headed off.

Titanium-Alloy armor met the steel floor, softly clanking as I tried to avoid drawing too much attention to myself.  
Too bad a nearly seven foot tall, heavily armed, clad in bulky metal armor man was nigh impossible to ignore.

Then again, I had used the active camo to stay relatively unnoticed when we were supposed to bunk down in the ballroom.

Several teenagers ran alongside me, one looking significantly younger than the rest.  
Ruby Rose, if I remembered correctly from the footage. Special one.

We made our way to the cliffside, and stood on a pad each.  
"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." Ozpin said.

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams'. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates...today." Glynda said, hope she didn't recognize me.

Ruby, the younger girl in red and black groaned. Guess she wasn't expecting such pressure.  
"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years." I almost scoffed at that when Ozpin said it; four years wasn't that bad.  
Especially when I had been fighting, bleeding, and sometimes even dying alongside the only people I ever could call family.

Several others made small comments at Ozpin's statement, as he continued.  
"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest, You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."

Pfft, the Grimm had nothing on the Covvies. Then again, this was an initiation; so it shouldn't be too extreme.  
"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?" Ozpin finished.

Blonde kid to my left raised his hand. "Yeah, um, sir?"

"Good! Now, take your positions." I let the jetpack's engines start up, the whining slowly growing louder. The DMR slid off the small of my back, from the tertiary magnetic strip. I was going to want to be more accurate with longer distances, save ammo.

"Uh, sir? I've got, um...a question." The entitled girl was launched off of her pad, with more pads ticking then activating. "So, this landing...strategy thing...Uh, wha-what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something?"

"No. You will be falling."

More pads activated, going down the line.  
"Oh, uh, I see...So, like, did you hand out parachutes for us?"

"No. You will be using your own 'landing strategy'."  
Blonde boy was still fucking oblivious to what was happening, as two more were launched off.

The yellow kid launched off, then Ruby. Going to want to stay around Ruby. She's going to have a pivotal role in future events and all that.

"So, what exactly is a landing strategYYY!..." Blonde kid was sent flying, then me shortly after.  
The air rushed by, as the jetpack kicked into full power to slow my descent.

Asset retrieval. Move north and rendezvous at a ruined temple. Grab an asset, RTB. Simple, but I could make this easier.  
Could always claim it's my 'Semblance', and say that the armor is fused to my body or some shit so Ozpin won't bother me about all my abilities.

Ground was coming up. The jetpack fired in multiple bursts, my armored boots softly landing on the ground. I was in a clearing, which was great for what I had planned.

Heh, time to make some noise.

My TacPad selected the vehicle I had chosen, and the blue flash brought forth the green behemoth I planned to use for today.  
The long barrel, the arch back, and the four separate treads.

The Scorpion M808 MBT. Rarely used it, so I wasn't as fluid with the controls; but it was an absolute beast for jobs like these.  
"Now all I need is a guy on the turret." Sighing, I climbed into the operator's cabin. "Time to make some noise!" I shouted as the Scorpion came to life, paving over several trees.

Hell, if this didn't either bring out some Grimm or get someone's attention, then I would just grab the asset and use the jetpack to make my way back.

* * *

_**Remnant, Emerald Forest, Sanus**_

_**August 21, 2553**_

_**0815 Hours**_

_**Ruby Rose**_

What is causing all that noise?!

It was so loud, and evidently carving a huge path through the forest as it shoved aside tree after tree.  
It had to be a Grimm. No other way. But it was headed in the opposite direction of where we were headed, so we should be fine.

Weiss was pacing back and forth.  
"What is making that noise?! It's making it hard to think!"

"Have you figured out which direction we're supposed to head to yet?" I asked, watching as she just kept pacing back and forth.

"I don't know, it's probably that way!" Weiss pointed, in the same direction as the giant Grimm that was shoving aside trees in its path through the forest.

"Let's go then! We can kill the giant Grimm that's making all the noise while we're at it!"

"Wait! Ruby!" Weiss cried out as I dragged her off.

* * *

_**Remnant, Emerald Forest, Sanus**_

_**August 21, 2553**_

_**0823 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"Hahaha! Come and get some you bastards!"  
The Grimm were advancing on me in droves now, and the Scorpion's cannon had killed each and every challenger.

A Nevermore was circling around in the sky, and the barrel wouldn't elevate enough to hit it.

I saw some red and white cloud of petals zip past, before several rounds pinged off the Scorpion's armor.  
"Hey, friendly fire! Watch it!" I shouted, sliding back the hatch and standing up. "I'm not a Grimm, dammit!"

I was answered with a sniper round slamming against my shields.  
"Hey!"

"Sorry!" A red and black clad girl stepped out of the woods. Ruby. Well, I managed to get near her.  
Just have to stay near to help influence future events…

A wave of ice slammed into the Scorpion, engulfing the barrel and three treads in a block of ice.  
"Really?"

"Oh, it's not a Grimm."

"Since when is a Grimm green?! And since when do Grimm travel with wheels?!" I was about to fucking lose it.

"Well-"

"Forget it." I scowled, unsummoning the Scorpion. Fuck it, Warthog it is then.

"Whoa! How did you do tha-" Ruby began, but she was cut off by the sudden appearance of the Warthog in another blue flash.

"A very useful Semblance. Does it just summon vehicles?" The girl in white asked. That's right, she was the entitled girl. Her name was...What was it?

Oh well. Could just ask.  
"Something like that. Markus Steel. Pleasure to meet you two. Care for a lift?" I asked, gesturing towards the Warthog while extending out my hand.

"I'm Ruby. What sort of gun is on that car?" She zipped off immediately after shaking my hand.  
"Weiss Schnee. You might have heard of me." The girl in white shook my hand, before strolling over to the Warthog.

"Either one of you can take the turret. I've got the wheel." Clambering into the driver's seat, I waited for the two to hop in.

"Shotgun!" Ruby yelled, as Weiss climbed up to the turret.

Once both were seated in, I slammed my foot on the gas.  
"How does this gun work anyways?!" Weiss yelled over the wind.

"Look for a trigger in the grips! Then just point and shoot!" Yelling back, I weaved us through a group of trees.

That bastard Nevermore had finally decided to start hounding us. Probably figured the Warthog was packing less punch.  
"We're almost there, open up on that Nevermore!"

"I got it!" Ruby shouted, before jumping out of the Warthog.  
Weiss started firing the turret, the Nevermore shrieking in pain as hundreds of bullets slammed into it.

"Where'd Ruby run off to?"

"She's on the Nevermore!"

"Ruby get off the bird dammit!"

"It's too high up to get off!"

"We'll meet you at the temple!" I kept driving, we should be close.

We came across a redheaded girl dressed like the Spartans of old.  
"Hello!" She cheerfully bellowed, as a giant scorpion Grimm chased her.

"Pyrrha! Hop in!" Weiss shouted, opening fire on the Deathstalker. "Markus; get us out of here!"

"That was already the plan!" The tires spewed up dust and dirt as the radio started playing.

**Playing:  
**"**Zero to Sixty"  
****By "Rakefire"**

The beat started up, slow and quiet before ascending to a full blown explosion.

The lyrics ascended similarly, pausing halfway before exploding in a flurry of notes.  
_**Leave 'em in a cloud of dust!  
**_The Warthog weaved in and out of trees as the Deathstalker-I think that's what it was called-chased us. The turret fired and fired, before clicking as it cooled off.

"Why isn't it firing anymore?!"

"Gotta let it cool down! Just wait until the steam goes away!"

_**Zero to Sixty  
**__**Pedal to the floor!**_

Deathstalker's tail slammed down, narrowly missing the Warthog.

_**The wind is with me  
**__**Drive me to my core!**_

"Looks like the others; they're just ahead!"

"Hold on to something!"

_**Try to catch me  
**__**Feel my engine roar!  
**_The Warthog burst into the clearing, and my sudden attempt to turn at such a high speed sent us into a tumble.

Pyrrha landed in front of the group, but I was thrown into a tree, and Weiss was sent flying up into the air.

Looking around, she appeared to have had her fall cushioned by the Blonde kid. Lucky her.  
Not so lucky for the other kid.

* * *

_**A/N: Man this took me a single day to write and I'm releasing this before I have an actual chance to give this a look-over with a pair of fresh eyes.  
****Well, the quality is definitely lower than usual, because this doesn't quite gel with my brain for some reason. Should probably wait to release, but I know you guys think that I upload every two days or something as opposed to a weekly schedule like I claim to have.**_

_**Probably doesn't help that I don't really follow said schedule, huh?**_

_**This one is technically 'in the future' and in the realm of 'Not at that point in the timeline yet'; but I figured this one would be an exception seeing as how it would be really hard for Six to pretend to be a student and a teacher at the exact same school.**_

_**Comments:**_

* * *

_**Halofan2117- The story was still following its schedule? Well; I explained above. I can understand why you might think that. The mentor figure to Weiss idea was, funnily enough, decided solely as 'Six will be a father figure to one of the main cast' and then I asked a friend who it would fit best and they answered "Weiss". Believe me when I say it was going to be far more Weiss focused but then the flow of writing killed that plan in its cradle.**_

_**Sm0keyPanda- Here's an omake. This one is a test of the waters, I suppose.**_

_**SSJ4- Yup.**_

_**Mr. Quack- I appreciate that you can see where I'm coming from. I liked the concept, with flow being something I probably do need to work on. I'll try and see if I can make the story flow along a more logical conclusion; including seeing if I can make the canon make more sense.**_


	19. Firefight on Algolis

_**A/N: [Insert Witty Remark]**_

_**This is the levels of creativity I have fallen on.  
Who would have guessed that sitting in front of a screen for hours trying to slam my head against a figurative wall would do that to you?**_

_**Also, I didn't realize I had literally deleted the section of the omake that felt 'off' to me, and thus claimed it was of lower quality. Did feel slightly off regardless, but the part that was published is significantly less wack than the deleted part.**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**August 21, 2553**_

_**1300 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"I heard you have footage of your exploits. May I have a look?"

"Depends. How'd you hear?"

"Ozpin mentioned how you showed lots of footage of your experiences during your time at Atlas."  
I sighed, scrolling through the TacPad for which mission I would show. Hm…

That would do.  
My mission on Algolis; stuck with a drop shield, a DMR, and a Needler.

That one was FUBAR from the start; the SOEIV pod had almost crushed me on landing, my provided side-arm was literally rendered unusable, what cover I could find was rubble barely standing, and I was diverting hundreds of Covenant from valuable ONI sites while they enacted Cole Protocol and evacuated.

Three Wraiths, a shit-ton of Banshees, and a few Ghosts were deployed against me; alongside a huge infantry group.

How I held out in a ruined town with shit cover and scarce ammunition was a fucking miracle in and of itself. Hell, some of the best cover was literally the half-crushed drop pod in the middle of what used to be a street intersection. By the time I had gotten there, it might as well have been an open field. At least I would have a better sight-line then.

Playing the footage of the drop and subsequent skirmish as the Covenant descended upon me, Port watched as I fought, and fought, and fought.

"By the Gods! How long is that?"

"Far too long. A few hours before I was evacuated; but the whole place was a nightmare to work with."

"I can see that. What sort of enemies are you fighting? They don't look like Grimm."

"Intelligent Grimm; of a sort. Don't worry about them. They're not here." I said, as Professor Port looked on with rapt interest. "Yet..." I mumbled shortly after.

At some point I had run out of ammunition on the DMR and tossed it aside for a fallen Marine's MA5B. The rifle barked in rapid succession, culling the Covenant as I went.  
Apparently I had begun playing music, couldn't remember the name of it. Eventually running out of ammo for the MA5B, I fell back to the Needler and grabbed a Plasma Pistol.

I forget how lethal those can be, sometimes.  
The notes rang out over the chaos of the battle, as the bodies began piling up.

I still remember how close I was to dying that day.

* * *

_**Algolis, Ruined Town**_

_**April 24, 2549**_

_**1100 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Plasma bolts flew overhead.

I was crouched behind what was left of a wall, and had to practically sit down to be in cover. The M7S I had dropped in with had literally bent in half, and the DMR had taken a beating, with most of the spare mags left unusable. So far, I had a Needler in case I ran out, but it wasn't going to do much against the horde of Elites.

Last frag.  
Tossing it over my head, I waited for the satisfying explosion before popping up and firing.

5 shots.

4

3

2\. Should reload soon.

Ducking back into cover, I check my ammo.  
One spare.

The whole AO was fucked, Covenant were crawling all over my position and I was going to be flanked pretty soon.

Plasma grenade by my feet, some Elite must have dropped it.

Grab it, sprint from cover.  
Plasma rained all around me, as I turned.

Chucking the plasma grenade, I fired the last two shots in the DMR.  
Eject the magazine. Insert my last one.

My music player selected a song as the grenade detonated.

**Playing:  
**"**Don't Stop The Devil"  
****By: **"**Dead Posey"**

Slide into a collapsed building, a small little wall that was about my height.  
A dead Marine propped against the wall, covered in plasma burns. His MA5B rested on the floor.

_**Hey you  
**__**Baby blues  
**__**Show me whatcha gonna do**_

Peeking out from the cover, I zoomed in and started sniping the Jackals.

The Wraith hovered into the area, and the gunner started opening fire.  
Plasma splashed against the wall, and the remaining infantry joined in.

At least I didn't have to worry about shields or snipers now.  
The ammo counter read '7'.

_**Mad Jack  
**__**Dressed in black  
**__**Gonna give Mama a heart attack**_

Grab one of the Marine's unused frags; toss.  
It bounces into a group of Grunts, they squeal and try to dive away as it detonates.

Open fire on the Elite with the concussion rifle.  
Its shields flare, then break.

One shot left.  
Aiming for the head, I pull the trigger.

The Elite is cut off mid howl, and collapses.  
Toss aside the now empty DMR, crouch down to pick up the assault rifle.

_**Soul buyer  
**__**Spittin' fire  
**__**Only your touch is gonna get me wild  
**__**Say I'm not a sinner  
**__**But you make me a liar**_

I spray in bursts, as the Covenant wave advances across the intersection to my position.  
Grunts fall, and Elites stagger. But where are the Brutes-

The pile of rubble behind me explodes, as the distinctive 'thoom' of a Gravity Hammer registers.  
Knew I would get flanked.

Turning around, I come face to face with a Brute Chieftain.  
Opening fire, I backpedal...straight into the wall I had been using as cover.

Oh fuck oh fuck.

Duck, as the Hammer slams into the wall behind me.  
I was thrown under and in between the Brute's legs, sliding past the Brute.

Take advantage of the momentary shock, hop on its back, and slam my combat knife into its neck.  
The red blood spurts out, as I ride the body to the ground.

Rifle is empty, and I toss it aside; drawing the Needler.

The purple crystals zip through the air, burying into all kinds of Covenant.  
Then they detonate in a pink explosion , sending bodies flying.

Grab the Gravity Hammer, and start running at them.  
Plasma strikes my armor and splashes around me.

The health monitor steadily ticks down as the distance nears.  
Beeping fills my ears just as I slam the hammer into the ground.  
Grunts and Elites are sent flying.

Raise the hammer; slam it down.  
Repeat, until the battery runs out.

Flip the hammer around, and bring the blade down like an axe onto a Grunt.

Grab its Plasma pistol.  
Green globs of plasma melt the crowd, as the wave falls apart; the survivors trying to regroup on the Wraith.

Switching to the Needler, the air filled with the pink crystals as they honed in on the enemies.  
The explosion from the combined Subanese crystals killed the wave, with only the Wraith left, its gunner torn to shreds.

I knew Spartan-IIs did it, and I had heard and seen the stories myself. They would literally punch tanks to death.  
But can a Spartan-III do it?

Time to find out.

I hopped onto the back of the Wraith, the driver trying to spin around and around to shake me off. I reared back my fist and punched with all my strength, and kept punching.  
After what felt like an eternity, the Wraith finally caught fire.

Holy shit, it is possible.

Aiming for the little port right on the back, I felt my punch break something, then my hand suddenly got very hot.  
"Shit." Jumping off as quickly as I could, the wave of heat washed over me.

My armor started beeping at me rapidly, and the health monitor was very much in the red.  
Limping over to a pile of sandbags, I sat down and reached for the Trauma kit I always brought with me.

Ever since I was first assigned to defend these places on my own; I had taken up the habit of carrying a Trauma kit on me. Meant I wasn't as reliant on health kits being on-site.

Shaky hands pried open the casing. A Biofoam injector rolled out. Not dermacortic steroids, which would repair severe injuries; but good enough to keep me together until extraction.  
I snatched up the Biofoam canister and looked myself over.

My armor was pitted and scarred, the green and brown now scratched off enough in places where the steel color could be seen. The EOD helmet was holding strong, but the rest of the armor was going to break soon.

My entire left arm was burned black, and the Mjolnir was the only thing that had somewhat kept my actual skin safe; and the burning sensation in my arm was very present and very distracting. Looking closer, it was also probably broken. I probably shouldn't have punched nanolaminate multiple times in a row.  
TacPad was probably toast, the whole thing was sparking, too.

Rifling through the kit's contents, I found the morphine injector. This would numb the pain and keep me going. Stabbing first the Morphine then the Biofoam in, I emptied both in quick succession as the chemicals flowed through the suit.

_**I like the games we play  
**__**When you're inside my veins**_

My arm numbed, and it slightly locked up from the Biofoam. The gel layer hardened up, preventing me from really moving the arm.

Check weapons.  
The Needler was going to run out soon, and the Plasma pistol was at half battery.

The next wave of Covenant was inbound, ETA less than three; so I needed to get whatever I wanted to do fast.

_**No a little good  
**__**Don't stop the Devil**_

I pick myself up, and the whoosh of the Covenant dropships are already present.

Need to hurry.

A fireteam of Marines had died in the remains of a collapsed gas station, and one of them had a SPNKr.

One half loaded tube and a full one.  
A BR-55, with half a magazine. No visible spares.  
Whole bunch of MA5Bs; all nearly empty and with no spares in sight.  
One SRS-99; one bullet. Two spare magazines in sight.  
M247, empty magazine but I counted at least three spare box magazines. Had a bipod and everything.  
Seven or so grenades.

Too bad I couldn't carry all this at once.

Stocking up on grenades, I marked this spot down as a fallback point, as the remains of the gas station left a large wall of soft cover.  
High volumes of plasma would punch holes in it, but I could use it as cover for some time.

The Phantom dropships began to lower, discarding their 'cargo'.

Crouched low, I stood up and ran for the landing point. I could intercept the Covvies and ambush them while they were still grouped up; then I could whittle down their numbers and repeat-

I landed face first on the ground. Looking back, I saw a leg with severe plasma burns. Further inspection revealed I had tripped over one of the dead Marines.

_**Cause a little good  
**__**Don't stop the Devil**_

Get back up, and start traversing the rubble. I managed to find the only somewhat still standing building, and emerged on the remains of the third story.  
Covvies seemed confused by the music; looking around for the origin.

I reared back my hand before rocketing it forwards, as the green sphere left my hand.  
It bounced off the ruined street and smacked a Brute right in the face.

Jackals noticed it, and they dived away; skittering. Brutes howled.  
The Grunts would have squealed, but the explosive geyser of shrapnel and debris cut them off.

Most of the group died off immediately. Only some Brutes that weren't next to the frag survived. My ruined building rumbled, and shook. This wasn't going to last long as cover.

The Needler whistled, the pink crystals flying through the air.

Dodge as they might, they couldn't outrun the crystals.  
Explosions engulfed the survivors.

A pink crystal buried itself into my right shoulder.

"Augh! Fuck!" I ducked back into cover; grabbing the crystal and yanking it out. It clattered against the ground where it shattered.

Jackal sniper, most likely. Needle rifle. Could try and locate it by getting it to fire again, but I had no long range options.  
The stairs were exposed; I would be a sitting duck trying to go down. I could jump, but the building seemed unstable enough that the vibration would be enough to bring it down.

Health monitor was red, and the suit was beeping again.  
I had the drop shield enhancement on me, so I could heal and run for it.

Deploy the shield; watch as the health monitor slowly ticks out of the red.

The Jackal sniper takes a few potshots at the shield. The health monitor ticks over to blue.  
I can get out of here now. Run down the stairs, jerky movements, move unpredictably.

Before I could exit the building, a bright blue glob of plasma arced overhead.  
Another Wraith?!

They really want me dead.

The building collapsed just as I dived into the street.  
Banshees zipped overhead.

_**Hellbent  
**__**Left again  
**__**Ain't comin' back til' God knows when**_

Banshee bombs landed all around, with plasma bolts peppering the street.

I scrambled to my feet and ran.  
The SPNKr could scare off the Banshees, buy me time while I hijacked the Wraith. Then I could take out or scare off the air support and deal with the infantry.

Just one problem.

The Wraith was being escorted by the rest of the Covenant troops that were brought in, and more dropships were arriving.  
Counted at least seven dropships, with more on the way.

I had dropped both my weapons at some point. The bandolier of 40mm grenades rattled as I ran.  
Could use those as makeshift grenades. Just need a little tampering to hand activate them.

Sliding one out of its slot on my chest-rig, I ran towards the Wraith.

A Ghost zipped by, spraying me with plasma bolts.  
Slam the bottom of the 40mm, and toss it at the Ghost.

It explodes, killing the piloting Elite. The Ghost drops to the ground, awaiting a new pilot.  
"Thanks for the kick-ass ride, idiot!" I shouted, hopping in and flying off. The Ghost was damaged, but it would do for my initial assault.

Weaving in and out of rubble, I came up on the Covenant group. I engaged the boost, and carved a path straight through the center.  
Most of them never had a chance. The few facing my way managed to dive and avoid me, but the rest didn't notice until it was far too late.

Grunt gunner was turning to open fire on me.  
Swivel the Ghost around, and cut through the Covenant infantry again, this time opening fire with the plasma guns.

Alien screams and howls ring out as plasma meets flesh and shields. They were silenced as I sped through the group once more.  
Then an Elite hopped onto the Ghost, and reared back its arm.

Time slowed to a crawl, the plasma bolts sent my way almost freezing mid air. I hopped out of the Ghost, grabbing a plasma grenade and rifle off the ground.

An Elite was next to me, still trying to fire on the Ghost.  
Pulling out my knife, I jammed it upwards into the Elite's mouth. The shields shattered, and by now they were starting to realize I wasn't on the Ghost anymore.

Toss the plasma grenade onto the Ghost, and take two more grenades from the Elite I killed. The hail of plasma was slowly shifting to where I was, and the Wraith was backing up to fire on me.  
Hop on, beat the Grunt gunner to death, and start prying off the cover with the combat knife.

The world sped back up again, as the Ghost was engulfed in blue flames and the plasma began splashing all around me.

I couldn't break open the hatch with my fists, but I could channel my force into a tool. The combat knife made for an excellent tool.  
The Wraith's hatch slightly bent open, and that was all I needed.  
Lock the armor, and slam my fist down on the hatch, over and over again until it breaks.

The Elite inside looked up, before my combat knife met the interior of its skull. Tossing the body out, I hopped into the seat.  
The Wraith handled like a lumbering beauty, it was just fine but it was cumbersome. Boosting into the remainder of the crowd, I silenced the few survivors of the skirmish.

Now, to take the fight to them.

* * *

_**A/N: Well; song lyrics being incorporated in. Asking for consensus again, so you guys can tell me if you prefer me giving the lyrics or (probably) looking for them yourself.  
After all, I try to make them relevant to the current events and stuff. Like RWBY does with its songs, but I'm using actual, real songs that have nothing to do with this story besides me referencing them.**_

_**Comments:**_

* * *

_**Sm0keyPanda- Yes, it would have been hilarious. What would have been the issue is that the 'mentor' role Six takes on was planned from the start.**_

_**Halofan2117- Glad to know you liked the omake! And I'm impartial to cats, never had one so I can't say much about them; but I have had a dog.**_


	20. Duty Calls

_**A/N: Another chapter? I have literally run out of backlog! Welp, it goes how it goes. The 'Mentor to Weiss' omake is probably going to be either**_

_**A: A miniseries, with scenes of Six and Weiss interacting as we speed through various points in the show, especially the way I have to change up what information Six receives and with how I'm definitely going to be changing certain things that occur**_

_**B: a full-blown, basically semi-rewrite of this entire story(Oh God I feel like I'm going to regret this if I do it)**_

_**To be fair, it wouldn't be that hard to write, I have most of the major scenes thought out for it. I just need to figure out how to make them meet...**  
**Yeah, that's gonna suck.**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**August 21, 2553**_

_**1320 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Professor Port looked shocked, probably by the fact that a lone person could wreak so much havoc all on their own.  
"And you did it all on your own?" He asked, almost incredulous.

"Of course; was in the job description after all."

"Well you certainly make for a good Huntsman. Ozpin assigned you to help me with military strategy, though. How good are you at that?"

"I'm an engineer. Making any place into a fortress is my job."

"So you shall assist with the defensive part of the curriculum. What about assaulting fortified positions and other types of maneuvers?"

"Professor, in order to defend, one must understand how his opponent will attack. I can assure you I know all sorts of military strategy. Especially considering that I am a military officer."

"You are? Are you sure you aren't one of Atlas' Specialists?"

"I'm considered one of them, but only to minimize the logistical nightmare that comes with my special case. I'm more of a private consultant for their military."

"Bart would find all these 'Grimm' of yours fascinating; considering he would love to know the history behind them."

"Well, I don't even know much about them. Just how to kill them best." Port laughed, pulling out his curriculum binder.

"Indeed. In the heat of battle, there is no time for pointless trivia."  
I nodded at that. Ignore the fact that practically everyone had more duties than to just shoot at the enemy in combat. The sniper had to find the priority targets and take them out, the medic had to heal the wounded, and just about everyone had a duty to protect their fellow soldier; hauling them to safety when they were hit. Hell, I was always scanning the environment for potential ways to rig the area into a trap or chokepoint when I was assigned on those missions.

Guess Aura had made the populace here somewhat combat-stupid. In fact, most medical tech was reliant on Aura to do the heavy lifting for the patient.  
Too bad most of my weapons could literally dissolve flesh.

"So, what's on the agenda? I can help teach anything you might have in mind. Except the history part; I didn't brush up on that much…" I said, watching as Port flipped through the curriculum binder.

"That's quite alright, I can do those myself." He waved it off, continuing to flip through the pages.  
We discussed how we would split the subjects, and by the time I left the classroom, it was at least an hour or so later.

Time for me to head home. I summoned the armor and walked through the hallways, passing several students.  
Walking out to the courtyard, I passed several more students.

Whispers and murmurs about who the armored man was and why he was on campus were all around.

I waved my hand while I summoned the Hornet in the same spot, just for theatrics.  
The function only required me to select a vehicle, and I could do it entirely through my neural implant if need be.

Climbing into the Hornet's cockpit, I closed the hatch and ran the standard preflight checks.  
The students who were exploring the campus and saw me stared, wondering what this armored man hoped to do with such a small airship.

Eggheads back at Atlas had all collectively slapped their foreheads when they realized the airships could be much, much smaller. After all, just use Dust to get the VTOL going and make their designs more aerodynamic.  
Fucking amateurs; they figured out flight and decided to make their aircraft big, hulking, barely aerodynamic things. They belonged more in the water than the actual atmosphere.

I took off, leaving Beacon behind me as I headed back to Patch.

Once the coast came into view, it wasn't long before I was hovering above my cabin.  
The Hornet landed, the grass cushioning the landing. The hatch popped open, and I climbed out.

The sun hung high up in the sky; far from setting. The cabin's door closed behind me and the Hornet disappeared in a flash of blue.

I could figure out how to deal with the Flood soon. Hopefully, Ozpin would list me as 'part-time' and I would be able to run at any moment to deal with any Flood outbreaks.  
The whoosh of air behind me indicated I would not be able to rest today, unfortunately.  
"Reclaimer."

"Ashen. What is it now?"

"Another Flood outbreak. However, I have recently discovered why I have been unable to detect as much as this Installation's specifications list. The Flood appears to be disabling the facilities and as such, my ability to monitor the subjects and this Installation as a whole is being limited. It would help greatly if you could deal with the infestation of the facilities, particularly the ones I have highlighted on your device. Those are the core installations, which are capable of many functions that could allow the Flood to escape this Installation."

"Got it. What kind of outbreak are we dealing with for today?"

"Minor, no environmental changes, no central intelligence established."

"So just go in, wipe out the Flood forms, and that's it?"

"Yes. No changes have been noted in their behavior nor have they managed to gain any biomass beyond the scattered fauna trapped within the containment zone."

"Easy, compared to the usual. Teleport me." I said, summoning the EOD Mjolnir. The yellow rings engulfed me, and the surroundings faded away.

The usual containment sphere was already up, with the decontamination room just ahead.  
I felt like pins and needles all over my body like every other time I got teleported. "Are you sure this is safe for me?"

"Why would I risk harming a Reclaimer? You have done nothing but be compliant all this time and you have not attempted to damage any of this installation."

"Because this teleportation thing makes my nerves feel all weird."

"The monitor who attended to you previously had left a full profile on your biology, and I found that the teleportation method you are using is perfectly safe for you."  
That was some good news, at least.

The decontamination room's door slid open. I stepped in, with the doors performing their usual airlock-esque procedure.  
I stepped through the now open door to the inside. Place was scenic, that was for sure.

If only abominations of nature weren't roaming freely in here.  
Should probably get the forge to make a prototype flamethrower. Might make my job easier.

My armor scraped against my knees again. Damn kneeguards, why were they so rigid?  
The EOD armor was never a perfect fit; somehow. They always said it was built to adapt to our size, but mine was always just a bit too loose or tight to be comfortable. Never sure why.  
At least the MK VI I was given for testing fit nicely.

The snowy forest I had emerged in was silent, with only the loud crunch of snow underfoot to accompany me.  
Motion tracker was registering flickers, but I couldn't get a solid bead on any of them. It was the Flood, scouting me out for sure; but they were staying cautious.

The shotgun and the SMG accompanied me again, with the shotgun on my back and the SMG in my hands.  
Felt safer knowing I could at least somewhat engage at farther ranges with it in my hands.

Howls, surrounding me.  
Were they trying to ambush me? My shields would tank the first few hits, but the hardlight shield on the interior would keep me from serious harm.

Some big fuckin' bastard was pounding around. Considering I was probably somewhere in Solitas, it was going to be tough, fast, and strong.  
I holstered the M7 on my thigh and summoned the M6 Spartan Laser. If I was hunting big Flood forms, I was bringing the big guns.

More pounding. Motion tracker's filling up with contacts.  
Guessing 5 to 1 odds.

I've had worse.

Howls echoed through the forest.  
I stopped in a clearing, wide open with the forest cover far off enough to give me room to fire.

Pounding getting closer; big ass blip on the motion tracker closing in fast.  
I couldn't see it yet, but it was making the snow fall off the trees.

Damned snow. Was up to my knees even in the Mjolnir.

The cause of the pounding emerged. Some gorilla-grimm-Flood form emerged; roaring.  
That appeared to signal the rest of the Flood to attack, as they all started charging across the snow.

Shit; M6 can only do one target at a time.

Engage jetpack, buy myself time to take out the big one.  
The jets whined and roared their say; lifting me to the skies. All the while, the M6 softly whined, the red targeting laser slowly growing in intensity.

Gorilla boy slammed his fists against his chest before jumping up.  
Fuck's sake; that was almost as high as me!

The whining grew louder as the red line grew brighter. Gorilla moved to jump again.  
Almost…

Shit!  
Gorilla boy had grabbed my leg while jumping, and was dragging me down to the ground.

A cleansing line of red cut through the Flood form, slicing it apart.

I flew back up into the air, before my jetpack started sputtering.  
"Oh you've got to be kidding me." The jets cut out, and I was in free-fall.

Unsummoning the Spartan Laser, I drew the M45 shotgun as I braced for landing.  
The gel locked up, and my body tensed.

Dirt flew from the force of the impact, and the snow came up in huge drifts, slowly floating back down.  
Nothing but white when I looked around. Shit.  
Engage Promethean Vision, VISR was good, but this was better.

The contacts were highlighted. Bunch of infected wolves and...sabertooth tigers?  
Gorilla was confirmed dead. That was a relief.

One of the tiger Flood lunged, met with hardlight pellets to its face.

One down, 20 more to go.

This was bad. Surrounded with no good fallback options. Short ranged weapon.  
At least I could put down any fucker that did come in range.

"Come and get it you fuckers!" Draw and ignite the energy sword.  
The two blue prongs softly ignite from my left hand. Wished it still did that satisfying ignition noise when it used plasma; but this was fine.

M45 in my right hand, I charged through the snow as fast as I could.  
The sprint turned into a roll, assisted by the boosters in my armor. The Evade armor ability was really helpful.

They were grouping up to try and overwhelm me. That was their mistake.  
Lunging at the Sabretooth Flood forms, I let hardlight pellets fly, slashing the sword fly back and forth.

Several went down, and a few were injured. The Beowolves were dashing across the snow, trying to get me from behind.  
Toss a plasma grenade into the remainder of the Sabertooth horde; run at them.

One snaps forward to try and attack.

Jump up, and kick off its head; changing directions all the while.  
I turned to face the Beowolf horde, and I let loose with the shotgun.

Orange pellets seared and sliced through flesh, and then I landed.  
A wave of heat and blue gases washed over my back.

I holstered the shotgun, and slashed my way through the rest of the horde.

Looking around, there were no more.  
Time to clear the rest of the place. How big was the sphere anyways? I needed to get this done soon.

The TacPad beeped. This better not be some bullshit from Ozpin, I was dealing with enough as it was.

**025 Ashen Quarter:  
****Only remaining Flood signatures are within the facility.  
****Sentinels deployed to clear the area, head into the facility and continue recontainment.**

Well, that made my job easier and quicker.

I trudged into the facility, the snow severely bogging me down.

The entrance was clogged with snow, the door having been forced open.  
Piles of snow were all over the hallway, mixed in with panels that had been torn off the doors.

Inside was eerily quiet. The lights were still on, but where the usual blares of the sirens and the soft hum of mechanisms used to be; there was now nothing.  
No noises, not a single sign of life from any of the usually operating machines in even the most Flood infested facilities.

Heading farther into the facility, there was no sign of anything but the Flood's mad dash for escape.  
No biomass; just burn marks and debris from doors and Sentinels alike.

The sudden noise of skittering set me on guard.

Fuck. Infection forms, most likely.  
Swap to the M7 SMG, the volume of fire is better suited for this.

The lights decided to cut out at that exact moment.  
"Oh you've gotta be kidding me…"  
More skittering. Some were jumping and killing themselves on my shields.  
My shields flared up, covering me in a yellow shroud.

Motion tracker was showing them, but they were just a little too fast to catch.  
Dammnit, was hoping I wouldn't have to use a frag this time.  
Toss one to the largest mass that was skittering about, as they circled me.

The hallway lit up with the flame of the exploding device. Infection forms mostly wiped out, leaving a large green cloud to dissipate.  
I sprayed with the M7 in a circle around me, killing the rest.

If only killing the Gravemind would mean the Flood was definitively dealt with. Instead, just more wrap-ups as the Flood threat shifted slightly downwards on the 'threats to Humanity I have to stop' list.  
Fucking hell, if only I had more than one nuke.

The facility was quiet, with no signs of any Flood.  
Not even damage, which was strange.

I entered some sort of control room, which had some sort of emergency lighting, the blue lights glowing softly.  
The consoles scattered around the room were flickering, the hardlight interfaces glitching out.

Engaging active camo, I crept over to a console. It was flickering the most, and the projector was sparking.

Upon closer inspection; the projector had sustained severe physical damage. Dents and claw marks were clearly visible, and the faint splatter of Flood fluid coated the projector.  
Sentinels don't leave marks like that. If they were here, there should be burn marks all over the area.

Someone had come through here.

That was bad. I'm the only person that should know about these facilities.

Which meant some curious Huntsman managed to get in;  
Or whoever came here didn't come alone.

Coldhearted as it was, I hoped it was the latter. Flood that were on par with a Huntsman would be bad, while a group of human combat forms could be handled.  
I typed a quick message to Ashen.

**Found a control room.  
****Damage indicates third party.  
****Requesting Sentinel assistance.**

Ashen responded with the appearance of several Sentinels that appeared from some sort of storage unit or other.  
I directed the Sentinels to spread out and search for any Flood. The large pit the control room hung above called to me for some reason.

If the people who came through here had left through one of the hallways, there'd be some sign of damage or battle of some sort.  
But the hallways were immaculately clean. Instead, only this room was damaged.  
Flood forms had most likely driven them to jump into the chasm, but what was down there?

Peering over the edge, there was nothing but darkness and the soft glow of the somewhat functioning emergency lights lining the pit. I grabbed a signal flare from my survival kit, lighting it and tossing it in.  
See how far down it goes…

Shit. Flare disappeared into the darkness.  
Means I probably won't survive the fall. Aura might help, but they would have to have a large amount of it to even barely survive.  
I didn't have a rope or any way down. I sent another message to Ashen.

**Signs indicate third party went down the chasm control room is overlooking.  
****Unable to pursue.**

Ashen responded almost immediately, as he had before. The yellow rings surrounded me and I prepared for the small bout of nausea that would come with it.

When the teleportation finished, it was pitch black and only a slight light was coming from above.  
I enabled the VISR and looked around.

Bodies. Quite a few.  
All infected and turned into combat forms; but they seemed to be dormant for now.  
At least it wasn't a Huntsman. But how would they have managed to make it this far without help?

The VISR highlighted something on the ground by one of the combat forms.  
Zoom in with the helmet.

Looks like a rifle of some sort.  
Shit, if they all had Aura this was going to be hard to deal with.

Several were wearing some armor. Atlas design.  
Atlas soldiers, escorting refugees of some sort before something happened to drive them here.  
They had to have a transponder on them.

So; disable the transponder, ensure asset denial, and search for any possible survivors.  
I both love and hate this job sometimes. On the one hand, demolition is always fun. On the other; I have to hunt down any possible surviving people in a literal maze of a facility.

Goddamnit.

* * *

_**Remnant, Beacon Academy, Sanus**_

_**August 23, 2553**_

_**0720 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

So goddamn tired.  
I had spent most of the night searching the facility for any other Flood or people, with the Sentinels taking some of the workload off.

Needed to pay Kat's statue a visit tomorrow; too.

I had wake-up stims on me; but it would look bad if I started injecting shit into myself on school grounds.  
If only I could find some corner where nobody would bother me while I stimmed up…

"Markus. Are you capable of performing all the demonstrations for the students?" Glynda asked.

"Yeah, sure. Go easy on me; I'm tired and I'm not going to be using the armor."

Still had half an hour to wake myself up. The students were eating their breakfast and preparing for classes.  
I leaned against the wall. So, so, so tired.

That was strange. I usually was able to stay up for at least three days in a row before a noticeable drop in performance.  
Maybe I could power through it. Just need to get some adrenaline going through my system.

Or maybe just needed to knock around the ol' brain case a little.  
I grabbed the wake-up stim. Fuck it, I needed the boost-

The TacPad beeped.

**Abnormal Brain Activity Detected.  
****Diagnosing...**

**Administering Beta Blockers.**

I felt much more energized, and I felt my worries fade away.

The wake-up stim was put back in my pocket. I headed out of the classroom.  
"I'm headed to the restroom." The door slammed shut behind me as I walked down the hallway.

The restroom door crept closer as I continued walking.

The Flood, Salem, her Lieutenants, the Grimm, the Covenant-All problems I have to deal with; and mostly on my own.  
Always got to be the Spartan that deals with the problems, never can be dealt with by other people.

Against the Covenant, where we were always outnumbered, outgunned, and fucked over in all terms of tactical superiority, that was understandable.  
After all, it's hard to hold the line on the ground when the Covvie ship in the sky can just glass the area.  
Even harder when they already own the planet…

That mission was FUBAR from the start.  
Our drop pods had been detected, and Covvies had swarmed over our landing sites shortly after we left.  
From there, we were hunted. Managed to preserve our ammo somewhat, by some miracle.  
Securing the asset was easier once they mobilized in force to find the 'Demons' that were crawling about on the planet.

Too bad we were detected almost immediately upon securing it. The whole force had descended on us, and Daniel had taken the brunt of it. His leg was shot to hell, and we didn't have enough Biofoam to stop the bleeding.  
Limped half a klick before the Covvies started following our trail.

Evac was even more fucked.  
At least there weren't any stealth elites around to ambush us then.  
Covvies on our tail, two klicks from the nearest rendezvous for exfil, and carrying an injured comrade.

Almost made it too, if the Covvies hadn't managed to EMP us. Pelican went down, killed everyone else, and left me stranded in enemy territory with low ammo and no evac.

Daniel. He needed a statue, too. For all the ones who died before and after Reach.  
Hell, the whole damn UNSC needed to be honored. We may have fallen, but we sure as hell went down fighting.  
Even if we lost, we fought enough to burn the memory of ourselves into any damn Covvie that was out there.

* * *

_**A/N: Now this whole chapter did feel a bit lackluster, especially with the 'not quite right' feeling here. Probably shouldn't write and edit while sleep-deprived.**_

_**Comments:**_

* * *

_**Halofan2117- I can relate, so many dogs in the family, I remember at least two that passed away; one of cancer, the other of old age-absolute trooper was still lively after getting arthritis, lived for a few more years before passing away. And the songs are all found on YouTube, i don't use Spotify or any other music platform, really. So, either the song itself is there or a version of it is there. I did look to make sure almost all the songs can be found.**_


	21. I'm Sorry Chapter(Sneak Peek inside)

_**A/N: An excerpt, of the omake(although it might as well just be a whole other story, with the setting it's in now) where Weiss sees Six as a mentor-figure(hey, the original idea was father-figure, and it was **__**understandably**__** awkward considering a 17 y/o calling a ~22 y/o 'Dad').**_

_**Consider this an 'apology' for taking way too long and slacking on writing the next chapter(I feel like I've written myself in a corner, but everywhere I look, there is only open field).**_

* * *

_**Unknown Planet**_

_**September 2, 2552**_

_**0432 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I awoke, buried in a crater. The crater had ruined what appeared to be a peaceful clearing in a small grove of trees, the world so much brighter than...than…

**Reach.**

Bolting upwards and scattering my restraints of dirt and snow, I drew my Magnum and scanned the area.

* * *

_**Unknown Planet**_

_**September 2, 2552**_

_**1057 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The area was clear, but my upgraded motion tracker was picking up something big. Most likely a vehicle of some kind, more specifically the dropship kind.  
Shit, shit, shit!  
The Covvies were already here?

Earth was going to fall, and with it so would Humanity's best chance of survival.  
So had this planet, although I hope I hadn't been dropped off into a nuclear winter. Escaping a glassed planet would be nearly impossible.

I summoned the M392 DMR, and the SRS-99. I would engage from long range, let the dropship fly away.

Stalking through the snow, I laid down and sighted in on the sky with the SRS.

The dropship flew into view, spewing smoke.  
Definitely not Covvie design. It was white and blue, at least; that was the original color scheme.

Looked like people inside, possibly humans.  
The dropship was missing a wing, and slammed into the ground. Snow flew up in drifts, and motion tracker picked up a second aircraft inbound.

Looks like they were being hunted.  
Could pick a side, but I need information on what the hell is going on here.

The second aircraft touched down, and hooded people filtered out. They were all wearing masks, and were armed.  
Small arms, nothing bigger than a rifle. Most had pistols; anyways.

Big guy stepped out, sword in hand. The blade was so spotless it might as well have been a fancy mirror.  
They stepped into the crashed aircraft, and emerged shortly after.

Bastards were dragging three _Humans_ out.  
Sons of bitches.  
They were going to pay for trying anything.

I zoomed out, decreasing from 10x to 5x. More likely to hit my shot.

One, presumably the pilot, tried to run.  
They were gunned down in the snow.  
Another, in a suit, was trying to protect a little girl.

Rules of Engagement usually would say to keep out of it; but…  
**Fuck That.**

Both were forced to kneel, and at that point the suited guy tried to fight back, wrestle the gun away.

His brains splattered across the snow.  
If the little girl wasn't crying yet; she was now.  
Bastards were making a show of this, too. Had a camera set up and everything.

Headcount.

Eight, maybe a ninth in the aircraft.  
Sword guy was readying himself to kill the girl.

Aim.

Focus.  
Time slowed down, to the point I could make out the individual specks of snow falling ever so slightly.

* * *

_**Remnant, Crashed Schnee Transport, Solitas**_

_**September 2, 2552**_

_**1100 Hours**_

_**Weiss Schnee**_

Klein was dead, and so was the pilot.  
Mother wouldn't wake up from the crash, and I was dragged out.  
Father had managed to disappear, and was nowhere to be seen.

The White Fang Captain smirked, leveling his silver sword at my throat.  
"The whole world will watch us exact vengeance upon the Schnee family; for their treatment towards the Faunus!" He boasted. The savages had even brought out a camera. He turned to the camera as the blade bit into my throat. "This is what happens to those that oppress us! We are not afraid to fight back!"

Tears were clouding my vision, everything had descended into a blurry haze.

That was before my executioner's head erupted.

* * *

_**Remnant, Atlas Academy, Above Solitas**_

_**September 2, 2552**_

_**1120 Hours**_

_**Colonel Ironwood**_

This was bad.

The White Fang had apparently ambushed _the_ SDC transport, and managed to capture or kill all of the Schnee family. The live broadcast of Weiss Schnee being prepared for execution was even worse.

I watched it again, just to make sure this was in fact real.

It was so surreal, the pilot trying to run away, followed up with gunshots. The heiress' butler, trying to fight back only to be shot in the head.  
The Schnee heiress crying as a blade was put to her throat. Blood spattered on the camera, cutting out any video.

Audio was still going, but it only revealed several gunshots and footsteps.

Winter Schnee was reported to have hidden in the Schnee mansion to grieve.  
The White Fang had yet to make any announcements.

Even worse, a blizzard was descending upon the Schnee crash site, and it would erase nearly any evidence of what happened.

* * *

_**Unknown Planet**_

_**September 2, 2552**_

_**1109 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

"Sorry I took so long. Being slow's been a bit of a habit recently." Bitterly chuckling, my thoughts turned to Jorge. If I was just a little bit faster…  
Hope I'm making you proud, big guy. Saving a kid, killing Innies, all in a day's work.

Her sobs were all that answered.  
"Hey, kiddo." She looked over at me; tears still streaming down her face. "You're gonna be alright, I promise."

One of the bastards stirred. Seems I only nicked him with the SRS.  
"Hold on, kid; one of the bastards that was about to kill you is still breathing, apparently." I stalked over, and activated the energy sword.  
Lifting them up, I stared into their eyes. Fear. The look that Innies had been giving me for all my life.

Two blue prongs erupted into his chest and out his back, all with a silent hum.  
"Was it worth it; you fucker?" She looked down at the sword before answering.

"Wh-What are you?!"

"The Devil himself." I snapped her neck, flicking her off my blade.

I grabbed the Trauma Kit strapped to my waist.  
More productive things to do than kill Innies.  
Actually, they all had animalistic ears or tails or some shit. Otherwise, they might as well be humans. A pattern?

The white-haired girl was clad in a tattered dress, and couldn't be any older than 5 or 6 years old.

"Man, and it's just been three days since I was supposed to die." I joked, looking her over and patching her up.  
She either didn't hear me or didn't care enough to respond to the fact that she was speaking to a supposed dead man.

She was healed up as best I could, and she was relatively unharmed to begin with, just cuts and scrapes.  
"I'm going to look for more survivors." I placed a hand on her shoulder before heading into the flaming wreck.

It was brutal. An elderly woman, who was most likely the girl's mother, had been brutalised. She had probably kept the girl safe at the cost of her own life. Her body was contorted awkwardly, laying over two different seats. I didn't bother with checking for a pulse; her neck was twisted at a strange angle, one too inhuman to be possible.  
The second pilot clearly hadn't survived, her head embedded in the cockpit window and the yoke was impaling her chest.

Nobody else in the aircraft; there were signs of a sixth passenger, but they were nowhere to be found.

I stepped out, Mjolnir crushing the bloody snow underfoot.  
All those bodies had turned the snow red, bringing back ghosts of the past.  
I shook my head to dispel my demons, at least for now.

There was still a Humanity to protect. I could grieve later.

* * *

_**A/N: When you say you won't abandon a story; but then you realize how tempting it is.**_

_**If the pain of slogging through it truly becomes unbearable, I plan to just upload a chapter to head it off.  
Said chapter will be a really rushed, basically timeline, of what happens. Sprinkled in with bits that I was actually motivated to write.**_

_**Either way, the Weiss omake will be set aside and later posted as an AU/semi-similar story, in that Six is the same character throughout both. It will be uploaded as a whole other story, and the only thing it lacks is a nice enough title.**_

_**I planned for 'Feet First into Hell: Memoirs of Weiss Schnee'; but it is written in entirely the wrong POV for that(The already shown format grates heavily on the implication said story is an autobiography).**_


	22. Fated Encounter(Another Omake? Really?)

_**A/N: Another omake, but this one is purely because I know the idea of Tyrian and Six even remotely getting along would be awkward, and this (somewhat) shows it. I still think it's pretty hilarious to see what amounts to two mass killers casually chatting with one another while trying to kill each other.**_

_**Also because I'm slowly figuring out how to speed up the pacing and make the story pick up faster. Adding in the (kind of) token fight scene tends to drag things, but I thought it would make for some character development.**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Unknown Forest, Anima**_

_**[Error], 25?**_

_**1500 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Some Scorpion Faunus attacked me out of nowhere, and I instantly recognized him.

"Tyrian Callows. We finally meet." My Humbler met his tail, and we stayed locked in position.

"Oh? You've been anticipating this?" He tilted his head, the ever-present smile growing wider. "Well so have I!"

Another attack.  
Block, and counter.  
"Well, I figure we're pretty similar anyways."

"Really? How so?"  
I shrugged, as we traded blows.

Both of us were blocking blow for blow, it was less of a fight and more of a casual fencing match between two guys who were busy catching up.  
"Eh, I'm a government-sponsored sociopath, and you're a serial killer. Both of us have high kill counts, and an admittedly impressive skill set."

Tyrian laughed. "I feel like we might have been good friends. A shame my Goddess has told me to kill you."

"That's what most of the people I killed said. Kept ranting about this 'Great Journey' and all that stuff."

"Really? I'd love to sit and discuss religion and things; but it just gets _so _boring." He gestured with a free hand, then went on the aggressive. "So why don't we make this fight more interesting!"

Guy hit like a Brute with all the agility of a fucking Skirmisher.  
"Hey, I've had less interesting fights with genocidal aliens; so don't mind if I try to prolong this. Haven't had any real enjoyment in a while."

"On that;" He grinned madly, jumping back onto his tail. "We can agree!" Tyrian leapt over me, and slammed his blade-gauntlets into my back.  
Roll with the hits.

I dropped and rolled forward, twisting around to face him.  
"So tell me," He continued. "About these alien friends of yours."

"Them? What can I say? They're super religious, want all of Humanity dead for some reason, and they _really_ hate people like me." I pushed my advantage, swinging the baton at his body.

"There are others of you?" Tyrian seemed interested now.

Probably was figuring if he killed me, he could go and have some fun with other Spartans.  
"You don't just kidnap one kid to turn into a super-soldier meant to fight a losing war. Three hundred was the original number, but fighting a losing war for almost eight years non-stop tends to jumble records a little." That was a half-truth, UNSC records on Spartans were almost impeccable, they couldn't afford to lose track of any of us.

"What a shame, I'd love to get another good fight in."

"Knew a guy that was quite a bit like you, loved fighting."

"Ooh; could you introduce us?" The tail jabbed dangerously close to my face as Tyrian went on the offensive again.

"Shame, he died to one of those aliens already. Sword made of literal energy straight through the back." Ducking and weaving past the jabs, I moved the baton to block as much as I could.

He was _very_ agile.  
"Aw, I would have loved to have a chat with him."

"Oh, I could already see it. Best guy to have your back in combat, he carved a skull into his helmet visor because it 'added personality'."

Another laugh, less maniacal, more jovial. "We most certainly would have gotten along."  
Tyrian left an opening, and I exploited it.

Swat aside the arm with the Humbler, and I sent my fist into his face.

"Argh!"

No more time for jokes. Anyway you looked at it, this guy was dangerous and had to be put down.

Draw the M6G, and unload several hardlight rounds into his chest.  
"Sorry, but as much as this was fun, I have other appointments."

Tyrian seemed mostly unfazed, despite the several _holes_ in his chest.

Until I unloaded the rest of the magazine.

He staggered, staring dumbly down.  
"Ho-w?"

"These bullets are some really special stuff. Designed to cut through flesh and bone; Aura too, apparently." I reloaded, before emptying the magazine into him again.

"She-My Goddess will kill you, then. Nobody can stop her..." He sank to his knees, and knelt like he was praying.

"Shame, I've got an Anti-Sonofabitch machine waiting to turn anything within ten kilometres into a miniature star. Besides, I already killed the eldritch abomination that killed the galaxy the last go-around. How hard could some immortal witch with a grudge be?"

* * *

Said immortal witch with a grudge was in fact very hard to kill.  
I had managed to fight my way through every one of her minions, and here I was; beating her to death with a Tac-Nuke.

Bring the warhead up, and slam it down.

Her face was currently being smashed into the ground.  
I needed to basically put her in a comatose state so I could get out of here before the thing went off.

Sometimes, I hate this job.  
Other times, I absolutely love it.

* * *

_**A/N: No, this story is not being canceled or stopped. I will (try) to see it through, and as stated before; if unable to continue, what amounts to an 'apology wrap up' will be posted, where I skim through all my notes (spanning at least 4 or 5 Google Docs because even in the virtual space I am disorganized) and basically rattle off all the 'important' plot points and write out a few key moments if I still have enough **_**oomph_ to put them in._**

**_Comments:_**

* * *

_**Halofan2117- Next chapter, I swear; it'll be actual, canon content this time around. I just need to vomit more words to edit it so the chapter reaches somewhere in the 5,000 word count.**_

_**Sm0keyPanda- It's going to be one, just being put up after this one is done.**_

_**Cooldude101011- Read above, but I'll restate it. Is it being stopped and abandoned? **Nah.** I'm just being bogged down by life(online school hurts) and haven't been able to devote time to making any headway on progressing the story.**  
_


	23. Your Friendly Neighborhood War-Criminal

_**A/N: What? An actual chapter? Unbelievable!**_

_**I finally got it out, somehow still less than what I thought I had typed, but being bogged down by life tends to do that.  
I might also be working on the other story a little bit.**_

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**August 24, 2553**_

_**0500 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

I should get a cap. UNSC one, would help hide my really shitty hair.

Almost always having a helmet on means you tend to cut your hair really short, and between the augmentations and my deployments, I just shaved my head bald.  
It was easier to deal with, but blending in with the actual locals was going to cause some complications. Nothing a hat couldn't fix.

Look stylish and appear to be a normal member of society. After all, the seven foot tall bald and pale man was going to attract a lot of attention.  
Better to try to act like I have a normal life than to make myself stick out.

The cap wasn't that hard to make, just a sort of cup with a brim. Extremely angular, and somehow very form-fitting.  
The UNSC logo was prominent on the cap's front, and it was so simple the Forge spit it out in a matter of hours as opposed to days.

Do I need anything else?  
My monthly ammo construction queues were constantly being placed into the slipspace bubble for storage, and I could pull them out of said bubble for use at any time.

Going about my morning routine, I stepped into the bathroom.

My reflection stared back at me in the mirror.  
Not that many scars, but the fact that my choice of helmets were always huge ones designed for maximum protection, it wasn't surprising. In fact, my body didn't have many scars.  
The armor took the brunt of it. Preference for a smaller profile helped, too.  
Scarred tissue covered my left hand and arm, leftover from my escapade on Algolis.  
Nothing much else of note, besides the close call with an energy sword that left a line from my cheek to my chin.

The razor blade glided across my chin, as I continued to attempt to reign in the slight beard that was persistent in growing there.  
Probably a side effect from the augmentations, but if I didn't trim it I would have a hell of a time sealing my helmet properly.  
I set the razor down on the sink counter, leaving my face with the ever-present five o'clock shadow.

The morning routine continued, with a quick shower and teeth brushing.

My TacPad showed me all the messages I had received, and I set it to a news broadcast.  
"Well, Jack, my take on this situation is that things are going to take a turn for the worse now that the SDC has been somewhat exposed. Even if the SDC manages to disprove what this whistleblower claims; they'll have a PR mess on their hands."

"Mhm. Don't forget how the White Fang's going to react to this, especially now that they've been adopting more radical methods since...What was it, Paul, four years ago?"

"Yes, four years ago. Ghira Belladonna stepped down, and Sienna Khan took the leadership position."

"Thank you, Paul. What's next on the agenda? 'Atlas Unveils New Military Technology'. This seems interesting. You're from Atlas yourself, right Paul?"

"I am, Jack. This is most definitely interesting; new vehicles haven't been seriously considered since the Paladin incident all those years ago. Granted, I'm not living in Atlas anymore, so I can't say too much."

"On the topic of the Atlas military, have your military friends mentioned anything?"

"Something about some new Specialist who rose up through the ranks, big friend of General Ironwood's. We may be seeing another 'Winter Schnee' here, folks."

"I hope they're good at their job like the esteemed Commander Schnee."

"Indeed. I've heard rumors they managed to help Atlas perform several breakthroughs in technology, and this new technology being unveiled might be one of them."

"Really? That's very interesting. Some anonymous sources have claimed that the team was assembled almost overnight and the design was 'revolutionary'; according to their words."

"It would seem so; looking at the few images Atlas has decided to release of it, it's got large wheels and a large gun mounted on the back."

"Sounds like it could be very helpful in dealing with the recent uptake in Grimm activity."

"Oh, yes, Huntsmen and Huntresses could always use the break."

"On that we can agree."  
The two broadcasters kept at it as I threw my clothes on.

Seemed word about me had finally begun leaking as Ironwood loosened his grip on OpSec.  
I still had to work on making a viable miniature Fusion reactor that could power Penny's core.  
Not to even get started on all the other upgrades that I needed to make or design on my end for Penny's new body.

The armor enhancements I had couldn't be given to her because quite a few of them screwed with electronic systems, the energy shielding was also screwing with systems, and the AI chip port was supposed to be inserted from the base of the skull, like where I had my neural implant at.  
Only problem was that I had to put it so that hair could mask this rather large hole that was made so the chip could go in.

Forget even considering the remote transfer idea one scientist pitched to me. That was barely even possible, my MK VI prototype had only the basis of the function. It could be done so that she could transfer herself to another device, but she would remain anchored to her body and have to return. The hard data that comprised her core was impossible to transfer without an AI chip.

Now to pay Kat a visit.

The trip was...mostly uneventful.  
I know Emile and Jun would be laughing their asses off watching me awkwardly try to figure out how to 'tell' Kat that Reach fell.

Why was I the bastard that got away?

* * *

Kat stared onwards, Magnum in hand while messing around with a datapad.  
Always like her; breaking into, securing, and scanning systems.

"Well Kat; we lost." I laughed at that, it was kind of stupid how awkward these were. "Yeah, I need to figure out how to start this shit better. Anyways, Reach fell. Managed to hitch a ride to Earth, and the Covvies beat us there. Guess we failed to complete the Cole Protocol." Someone had dropped the ball, Earth was our most well-guarded secret. The Covenant shouldn't have known where it was. "So, I arm myself for war to give the Covvies hell, and when I die; I wake up here!" I tried to joke. It was terrible. "Yes, it was bad. I tried, alright? I still woke up in this world of not-quite-humans, and I have a job to protect them because I'm pretty sure our Humanity is hiding in asteroids and shit right now."

I sighed. Honestly, I should have taken that shot. That Zealot that shot Kat was clearly gunning for us, but of all of us, he waited for the stragglers.  
Thinking back on it, I think that same Zealot was the one Emile killed.  
"Well Kat, I can safely say you were avenged. Bastard that got you was taken out by Emile. He took the fucker down with him, and I made sure that Zealot was dead."

Several rounds of buckshot being emptied into its face made sure of that.  
After all, better safe than sorry.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**December 31, 2553**_

_**2345 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

More teaching, more bullshit I had to deal with from the students.  
I _had_ gone to sleep, but I was woken up by the motion trackers.

Lifesavers, they are. What seemed to be a whole swarm of red dots were slowly sneaking their way around the house.  
I summoned my armor, and decided on the MA37, M392, and the M6G.  
The classics would do for now.  
If more force was necessary, the house was built like a fortress.

Cloaking, I snuck to a window in the hallway.

Hostiles weren't out of the treeline yet.  
Some woman in mock-samurai armor was leading them; she had this big white mask.  
Intricate and cool looking, but it was just screaming 'Here I am! Shoot me!'.  
Well, she would do for a messenger when I repelled this attack.

Hell of a way to kick off a New Year.

The bandits-the ones from that group I slaughtered when I got here?-left the treeline, and managed to inch far enough into the point of no return.

A soft clicking noise, then the ominous whir of barrels winding up.  
Bullets flew, cutting down swaths of bandits.

Most had no time to dive for cover, the ones who did found themselves very grateful for the various supply crates I had left lying around the front of the cabin.  
The turrets fired in bursts, cooling down after a bit of firing.

My turn.

Popping out of cover, the DMR zoomed in.  
I shifted my aim from target to target, thinning the swarm charging at me.

The counter steadily ticked down.  
15, 14, 13, 12, 11-10, 9.

A stray bullet splashed against my shields, and then more fire rained down on my position.

Samurai woman was doing some elemental shit, lighting, wind, and water was going everywhere.  
She was pinned down, but lightning kept slamming into the house.

Good thing I had thought ahead and EMP hardened the place.  
Not so good that a group of bandits had managed to get in the house.

Cloaking, I swapped the DMR for the M45.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 1, 2554**_

_**0010 Hours**_

_**Raven Branwen**_

I thought it would be simple. Portal to Tai and let the tribe through so we could sneak to this man's house and take his weapons.  
They were so strong, but that made him weak. He wouldn't know what was coming until it was too late.

We were wrong.

He was ready for us, and sprung his trap.  
Half the group was cut down in an instant, and only a few had managed to get into the house.  
I could already hear the gunfire and screams from inside.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**December 31, 2553**_

_**2359 Hours**_

_**Ruby Rose**_

Something was happening.

There was gunfire in the distance.  
Lots of gunfire.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"I don't know, Ruby; but I think our neighbor is setting off fireworks again. You go to bed and I'll deal with it, alright?"

"Daaad!" Both Yang and I begged. I did the puppy-eyes thing to seal it.

"Alright, girls. Fine. We can go over there and figure out what's happening."

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 1, 2553**_

_**0045 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The memories, I was having trouble telling what was what.

I had taken a pretty big hit, something had taken down my shields then sent me flying into the wall.

What was going on?

Fighting Covvies.  
Grab the M319, some weird blue flash.  
Not important. Defend site.

"_Hold the line, Spartan."_

I had the MA37 and M319. M45 was on the floor, off to the side.  
Must have been knocked out of my hands.

They hit hard.  
Grab the M45, holster the other weapons.

Two Brutes stood around, watching me get up.  
Armor damaged, health reading high red.

I dumped all six shells into one, then drew my knife.  
It slammed into the survivor's throat, spraying blood everywhere.

The knife slid back into its sheath. Two down.  
Motion tracker reads more outside.

Set the M45 aside, grab the MA37.  
Door was already kicked open, and two frags cleared the area.

I rushed out of the door, and began carving a path through any that dared come into range.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 1, 2554**_

_**0100 Hours**_

_**Raven Branwen**_

This was a mistake.

The armored man-no, a monster, for only a monster could cause such destruction.

He had come out of the house coated in blood, and he cut down more of us, with only one weapon.  
Laughter. This monster was laughing, cracking jokes at us!  
All while he cut us down like it was nothing.

I couldn't even try to escape, anything that moved was shot at.  
I almost found solace in the fact that he had no explosives.

Then a thumping sound started, and the night was slowly turning into day.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 1, 2554**_

_**0130 Hours**_

_**Yang Xiao-Long**_

Gods…

Marcus' house was surrounded by death.  
Blood ran and pooled in puddles, bodyparts lay all over.

And in the center of all that chaos, Marcus was there, his armor coated red in blood.  
"Bring it on you blue-blooded fucks! That all you've got?!" He shouted, waving his weapon around.

A woman clad in red armor tried to fight him.

I knew that armor.  
"Mom?"

"Raven?" Dad whispered.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 1, 2554**_

_**0140 Hours**_

_**Raven Branwen**_

I had no other choice.

If I wanted to have even the slightest chance of living, I had to fight him and run.  
A cowardly way, but it would prove I was still strong enough to keep the monster at bay.

I could tire him out, then maybe go in for the kill.

Everybody I had taken with me was dead.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 1, 2554**_

_**0145 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

Some Zealot tried to fight me. They drew their energy sword, and charged.

I tossed aside the M319.

I drew the MA37.  
Firing several bursts, I ducked under the first swing.  
The rifle stock slammed into the Elite's face.

Shields were far from down, it looked like it had the shield strength of a Field Marshall.  
Empty the magazine into it.

Shields still weren't down.  
Toss the rifle aside.  
Draw the knife.

Damn split-jaw landed a hit, taking out a small chunk of my shields.  
That was strange. Energy swords tend to do more.  
Whatever.

Lunge, and strike.  
Parried.

Thrown back, need to get behind it for easy kill.  
I grabbed a plasma grenade.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 1, 2554**_

_**0200 Hours**_

_**Raven Branwen**_

This thing couldn't be a monster. Grimm were less deadly.  
This was some sort of demon, made manifest.

Blood still dripped off of its armor, and the both of us circled the other.  
The black visor bore into my soul, like it was trying to make me submit.

Never.  
I would not fall to this demon.

Then, it threw something at me.  
It burned. It wouldn't come off, and my Aura was slowly dropping.

Blue heat engulfed me.  
My Aura shattered, and all my strength left me.

I was dead.

My eyes shut as I slammed into the ground.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 1, 2554**_

_**0200 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

The Field Marshall-Zealot collapsed, dead.  
My suit was beeping, I needed to heal myself.

Grabbing my weapons, I propped myself up against the building and opened my Trauma Kit.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 1, 2554**_

_**0200 Hours**_

_**Yang Xiao-Long**_

What did we just watch?

I knew Marcus could be dangerous, but…

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 1, 2554**_

_**0215 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

There wasn't actually that much to worry about.

The main problem was the hole in my stomach where I had been stabbed, and it was just bleeding. Biofoam dealt with it easily enough.

Wait.  
Energy swords cauterize their wounds.  
And this blood wasn't blue, it was all red…

Motion tracker lit up.

Covvies were getting reinforcements?

They were armed, but they didn't look like Covenant…

An M6G appeared in my mag-strip, and I grabbed it.  
Insurrectionists; come to loot the battlefield.

"UNICOM, this is Sierra Beta-Three-One-Two. Requesting extract, I have some sort of concussion and Innies are closing in on my position. I cannot hold them, I repeat, I cannot hold them. If extract is unavailable please execute FPF One." I rambled into the radio as fast as I could. They were closing in, and I was going to be captured and turned against the UNSC.  
Well, I had a good run.

If I genuinely couldn't stop them, I'd overload my fusion reactor once they got close enough.

Steadying my hand, I took aim.  
Two kids, the bastards really were going that far; huh?

Threaten them, they'll fight back. Most Innies were smart enough not to try looting a battlefield until all UNSC personnel had left, but these three were ballsy.  
Easy, then. Play dead and if any of them try anything, eliminate as quickly and efficiently as I could.

Dropping the arm, I slumped my head forwards and locked my eyes on the motion tracker.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 1, 2554**_

_**0220 Hours**_

_**Raven Branwen**_

Weak.

After all these years of gathering power, training, and building up a group to be strong enough to outlast Salem's offensive; we still lost to some..._thing_ in armor.

A voice. So familiar, but I just remember hate. "Raven? You're hurt, bad. Hold on."  
Comforting hands lifted and dragged me away.

The world faded to black again.

* * *

_**Remnant, Patch, Sanus**_

_**January 1, 2554**_

_**0225 Hours**_

_**Sierra Beta-312**_

They were taking some person…

Wait.  
I wasn't fighting Covvies. The blood was red.  
And they weren't the size of Brutes.

Shit; I lost control of myself.

This was one of the reasons I was usually sent in alone.  
That way I couldn't harm friendlies if my 'Berserker Syndrome' set in.

ONI had said it was some sort of side effect from 'childhood traumas'. Bullshit.  
I never knew my parents, I just remember being in an orphanage for several years of my life.

If I wasn't fighting Covvies, was I fighting Insurrectionists?  
What planet was I on again?

Details are escaping me. My hands are getting twitchy, too.  
Flashes came back to me.

"_Do you have it?"  
__A canister, holding an AI chip. A blue glow filtered out of the container, and the package was transferred._

_A Pelican, awaiting us.  
_"_The ship-breaking yard in Aszod. The only off-planet extraction point left on this -scale air attacks have decimated many convoys en route. An armada of Covenant cruisers have hastened to side as well. UNSC cruiser, Pillar of Autumn_ _is waiting for your arrival."_

Reach…

I was on Reach, right?  
We had to get a package off-planet.

_A Halcyon class cruiser, sitting in the drydocks.  
_"_Get the package to the Autumn."_

To the Autumn, right. Had I gone rogue?

Shit, don't tell me...

_A Scarab, towering over our cave system.  
_"_Commander, you don't have the firepower!"  
_"_I've got the mass."  
__A fireball engulfs the Scarab, sending it down in flames._

Carter…  
Package…

Where's the package?

"_They'll be remembered." A comforting hand, then orders.  
__Plasma fire, raining down.  
__A fellow brother in arms, cut down by an energy sword._

Emile…  
Package delivered.  
Need to ensure the package stays safe.

"_We rigged a mass driver up top. We lose that, the Autumn will have no covering fire. She'll never make orbit."_

Had to get the package off-planet.  
The MAC gun.

"_Lieutenant! Get aboard!"  
__A beckoning hand.  
__Desire to run.  
__Thirst for vengeance. Avenge Noble Team._

The world blurred.

_Shotgun blasts, my hand becomes free of weight.  
__A blue flash. Plasma ignition.  
__Elites cry out pained howls._

Get to the MAC.

_Hop in the seat, electricity crackling over the coils.  
__A blast, teeth rattle._

I would die.  
Took me damn long enough.

_Ships exploding, more rattling.  
__A bright glow.  
__One final blast._

Cruiser, took it out before it could glass the area.  
Just delaying my death…

Package was secure and away.  
Objective complete.

_Walking, and walking.  
__Pain, and anger.  
__Crackling radio.  
__Then, music._

Last Stand.  
Was I dying here, half drugged out of my mind?

_Explosion, cracked visor.  
__Firing away.  
__They keep charging, and I'm knocked down.  
__Keep fighting. To the last breath.  
__Stabbing pain in my gut._

There was only cold in my gut now, guess the nerves were failing.

_Look to the sky.  
__Covenant Cruiser above, bright glow before-_

I had already died.  
Why was I still here?

So much blood…

_Falling.  
__Dirt._

Unknown location. Assess the situation, act accordingly.

_Buildings on fire, people being attacked.  
__Anger.  
__Distinctive snap.  
__A leveled pistol._

_Gunshots._

Forest?

Where am I?

_Growling.  
__Confusion, interest._

Animals, attacking…

_Wooden and stone building, standing in a clearing._

The cabin. I was at the cabin.  
An attack…

_Rifle in hand, firing in bursts.  
__Explosions rocked the ground._

_Joy._

What had I done?  
It was trickling back, slowly.

Reach.

Remnant.

Home.

Attacked.  
Fight back.

Shit, shit shit!  
I killed off the _one_ bandit tribe that needed to stay alive!

Destiny's an absolute bitch sometimes.

* * *

_**A/N: I made a mistake when I wrote this story, and I'm trying to work on it.**_  
_**Whenever I write these stories, they're literally just ideas being transcribed onto a document.**_

_**The real problem, in my opinion, is that I quite frankly don't know how to stop myself.**_  
_**Can you believe I was going to try and weave in the fact that Six had contacts in the criminal underworld, becomes a Private Military Contractor, and so many other things?**_

_**I'm going to try and slow myself down on this stuff, and you'll see Six take on one or two main roles at a time. I know most of you didn't much care, and none of you have pointed it out yet, but it was getting to the point of insanity on my end of things.**_

_**How many people go through ~10 different jobs and workplaces without finally finding something steady? It's supposed to be a cover, anyways.**_

_**Sorry for rambling, but just some warning, both to myself and to let you guys know if I'm possibly taking it too far again.**_


End file.
